Repent
by Innocentenough
Summary: Four years after Yami's decision to stay mortal, Anzu is seriously hurt and it is his him that must repent for his sins and make things right again. But life is not all that it seems and he soon learns that there is more to the dancer than first meets the eye. YamixAnzu. Rated T for now but may change to M.
1. Chapter 1: Broken

So, I watched a random episode of YuGiOh recently because I was feeling super nostalgic and used to love the show when I was growing up! Anyway, I was inspired to write a story as I used to love Yami and Anzu together so here goes nothing…

I hope you enjoy!

xox

She watched the light dance across the wall opposite her, the dim afternoon shadows sucking the life out of the small shards of happiness like a deep, black hole. She smiled bitterly; it reminded her of him. Faded blue orbs turned their attention to the window, grey clouds casting a hazy hue of blue across Domino City, dragging the colour out of it and blanketing it with a dull grey instead. She blinked slowly, boredom had come and gone and she was left feeling empty and alone. She glanced down at her arm, the full length of it bound tightly in a cast, it's weight resting uselessly in a cloth sling that dragged on the back of her neck and made it ache. But that was good; the pain was a distraction. Her gaze traveled to her ankle where it was propped up on a cushion ahead of her, swollen but not broken. Her pain relief and a now melted bag of ice sat next to it, untouched. She had promised Serenity that she would do both regularly all day, but that was just to keep her happy. The pain was good, it reminded her of what had happened, reminded her of him.

Her eye's glazed over and goosebumps tickled her skin as the memories flashed through her vision.

 _She was sweating from dance class, but a large coat was thrown over her shoulders anyway to cut out the chill from the autumn wind. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun on the back of her head, it's pin's and bobbles pulling on her hair uncomfortably making her occasionally wince in pain; she was longing to get home and rip them free. She buried her pointe shoe's into her bag as she hurried down the street; night was falling and the air was getting cooler with each passing minute._

 _She heard them before she saw them, turning on instinct to see two large shapes descending on her quickly. Her instinctive scream was muffled by large hands before pain erupted across her face sending her stumbling and falling to the ground with a loud grunt, her head ricocheting painfully off the concrete. Her world span in a nauseating circle as she was dragged to her feet, but before she even had the chance to think about bolting, her vision darkened and the world went black._

 _She woke up in what looked like a hotel room, slumped and tied to a chair in the middle of the carpet. Patches of blood lined the area around her, bleeding into the fibres like the roots of a tree. The blood was dripping from her mouth, her head slumped to the side awkwardly from where she'd been beaten and left unconscious. She blinked, trying to swallow but the movement was slow as the drug still racing through her system made her vision groggy and her memories hazy. She gagged at the metallic taste of her own blood and spat wearily, trying to get rid of the tainted saliva, but some clung to her chin and dribbled down her neck, dragging a slick mark through the already dried blood on her skin. She noticed only one of her hands had been tied to the chair, the other hung loose at her side. She went to move it to wipe her face but immediately regretted the decision as searing hot pain burnt up to the foundations of her arm, splintering into her shoulder and making her scream in agony. Her eye's rolled slightly as a nausea set in whilst her arm continued to protest at being moved. She grit her teeth, tear's starting to swell in the corners of her eye's as a panic set in. She took a shaky breath and glanced down at her arm, suddenly wishing she hadn't at the sight of it; it was clearly broken, bent out of alignment._

 _What a cruel joke._

 _Whoever had taken her had left it untied on purpose, limp and useless to tease her._

 _She used what little strength she had left to sit herself up properly, careful not to bump her arm as she whimpered in pain. She lifted her gaze to the closed door opposite her, but a flash of red caught her eye and she turned to the wall on her right to see a very familiar picture. There, in the middle of the plaster, was a crudely drawn millennium eye. She surveyed it with wide orbs, the implications of what was going on finally sinking in; they were after him, and they were using her to get to him. She felt anger course through her veins and grind into her teeth. When would this madness end? When would the violence stop?_

 _She was jolted from her thoughts by the door ahead of her being swung open, bouncing off of the wall behind it with a loud bang. She jumped unwillingly, her eye's wide with fear as a masked figure stalked towards her. He grabbed a passing chair and dragged it behind him as he approached, placing it backwards in front of her, swinging one leg over the side so that he was now straddling the seat._

 _"I see sleeping beauty woke up?"_

 _She breathed heavily, fear had knotted into her gut instincts and ripped it downwards, leaving her conscience nothing to fight with._

 _"-Andddd still not talking." He sighed wearily, "You know, I really didn't want to have to do this..." He reached a hand out towards her broken arm, his fingers brushing the skin lightly making her flinch in pain and shying away from him. "All you have to do, is tell me where he keeps that dam millennium puzzle and we can all go home."_

 _His tone was unpleasant but not pushy like she expected. Most probably to try and calm her into a false sense of security so as to get these so called 'answers' from her. She merely blinked, holding his gaze through the small slits in his mask._

 _"I don't know..." She muttered quietly._

 _"I'm sorry? What was that?" His hand was reaching again now, brushing the skin of her elbow. She tensed every muscle in her body in preparation for the pain._

 _"I said, I don't know. All the items went missing when-"_

 _She screeched in agony as his hand crudely gripped her arm, squeezing just tight enough to irritate the shard's of bone deep beneath the layers of muscle. She sobbed, biting her bottom lip as tear's streamed down her face, streaking through dirt and blood on it's way to her neck. Nausea rolled in her stomach and the edges of her vision started to darken as she tiredly lifted her head to face the masked man again._

 _He raised an eyebrow. "Bold of you." He noted appreciatively, moving to stand. "But not good enough, I'm afraid."_

 _This was it, she thought blandly, watching him raise his hand to hit her again. This one back hand would knock her out cold again and she wasn't even sure if she wanted to wake up from it. She shut her eye's in preparation, not wanting to see his slow build up to inflicting her pain. Shouts in the corridor distracted them both and the masked man whirled around to face the open door, the dark shadows from the now pitch black entrance seemed to shift and crawl into the space, slowly making their way into the light only to diminish and recoil slightly at the contact. She held her breath; she knew this place, knew this feeling, she had seen it so many times before._

 _The Shadow Realm._

 _He had come._

 _She had never seen him angry enough to use his powers before. Even though he no longer possessed the puzzle, his mind and remained the same and he was still able to call upon his abilities he once had as a Pharaoh. But this was different, she could practically feel the energy pouring off of him. The tension in the room tripled and she felt the air around them grow heavy and hot, making it harder and harder for her to breath. The sounds of men groaning echoed off the walls and a scuffle of cloth confirmed his entrance as he turned and stumbled into the room._

 _The relief that flooded through her system was so overwhelming she almost past out. She knew he would come, of course, he always did, but she had not been expecting him so soon. His head whipped around the room until it landed on the masked man and then shifted to rest on her._

 _She would never forget that look. Like someone had taken the sword in his soul and stabbed him in the stomach with it, his eye's wide with shock and burning a bright red that lit the skin of his face in a sickly hue of orange as he gasped; he was angry, very angry. Sweat dripped from his forehead as his eyebrows creased into a scowl and his breathing picked up in pace. His eye's were staring at her body; the bloody drips that littered the carpet around her, the broken arm that hung limp at her side, the dull void that was growing ever darker in her eye's as she started to shift in and out of consciousness. She could feel his anger, feel his pain through every fibre of her being. She had no clue why she had such a strong bond with him, such a strong pull towards him that made her heart ache every time she had to turn and walk away. None of the other gang experienced this, and yet now her body was calling for him, calling for him to save her._

 _And save her, he did._

 _The last sight she was gifted with was the millennium eye glowing bright across across his forehead as his eye's shone and the masked man collapsed to the floor with a dull thud, his chest heaving as life left him and his now empty vessel behind. Her vision darkened again and she felt herself fall as the weight of the chair tilted off balance and fell to the floor, dragging her with it. She didn't even feel the pain as her world moved in slow motion and her body landed with a distant thud onto the carpet. She blinked wearily, exhaustion kicking in as the sound of sirens started to fill her senses._

 _"By Ra, what have they done to you?" Yami muttered, his voice cracking slightly as sheer panic started to set in._

 _Her vision was filled with his presence as he loomed over her form, cradling her head carefully and staring at her with large crimson eye's that were now filled with concern and worry, his eyebrows creased into a fearful frown as he inspected her damaged body. With a gentle sigh she let herself go and the darkness took over, his last few words echoing against the wall's of her mind._

 _"Anzu, please forgive me..."_

A loud knock on her door made her jump out of her thoughts as her head turned to stare at the source of the noise. She toyed with the idea of just not answering, telling whoever it was to leave her alone. But if it was Joey or Tristan they would just knock the door down anyway and Yugi would use his careful way with words to guilt trip her into letting him in. Serenity and Mai both had key's and the possibility that it was Yami after all that had happened were slim to none. She bit her lip, unsure of what to do until another insistent knock made her heave an angry sigh before she gently got to her feet and hobbled towards her apartment door.

Who was she kidding anyway, they all knew she couldn't leave the house.

She leant her weight against the door frame so she could steady herself on her good leg before she gently turned the handle and cracked the door open.

Boy, had she guessed this wrong.

There on her door mat, stood Yami Motou. He had been staring down at the street before and now turned to face her as she opened the door. His crimson eye's found her blue one's immediately and she felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck as she felt him practically peer into her soul. He had eye's that made you feel like he knew your deepest darkest secrets; they were full of knowledge and power, rimmed with a band of gold that seemed to reflect his blatant regal heritage. He was dressed casual, a pair of blue jeans visible beneath his black coat that shielded him from the cold autumn wind, the collar pulled up and around his neck to keep some level of warmth in. His hair was as unruly as ever, tumbled up onto his head it seemed to have a life of it's own as the wind drew a few strands free and scattered them across his cheeks. His skin was still a warm hue of brown, even coming into winter he had a tan. Last but not least, her gaze fell to his hand where he tightly clutched a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

She blinked at him, feeling anger slowly bubble to the surface.

"May I come in?" He muttered quietly, keeping his gaze focused on hers as he tried to gauge her reaction; Yugi had mentioned she was upset with him.

She merely turned and limped away, leaving the door open for him to enter himself. He did so quietly, removing his shoes politely but leaving on his coat; he felt that this may be a short visit. He turned to see her fighting to keep her balance as she hobbled back to her seat on the sofa, the cushions propped comfortably to make her feel less pain and a blanket that had been thrown aside to keep her warm. The room was dull and lifeless, not like the Anzu he knew at all. Plates of food lay untouched around the sofa, a puddle of ice had melted onto her coffee table and was now dripping onto the rug beneath, the soft pitter patter of it's descent the only noise that filtered throughout her apartment. Dust had settled in corners and the kitchen looked like it hadn't been cleaned in days. He noticed the packets of medications, their labels still intact from where she hadn't even bothered to touch them. He frowned, moving towards her to take her elbow and help her back into her seat.

"Anzu, why are you not taking your medication?" His voice came across with a hard edge, despite his soft touch to her skin as he tried to offer her a helping hand.

She shook him off roughly, placing herself back down on her own. "Why are you here, Yami?" She bit out, conflicted by her own emotions at his presence here.

"You know you will just end up back in hospital if you don't look after yourself."

She sighed rubbing her temples gingerly. "I know..."

"So why are you doi-"

"Because I didn't _want_ to, Yami! Is that good enough for you?!" She snapped at him, irate and not in the mood for his persuasive attitude towards everything. She winced as a spasm ran up her arm and settled into her shoulder, settling there much to her dismay.

He frowned at her in response, not appreciating her sharp tone nor being spoken to like he was the one in the wrong. He closed his eye's, standing to his feet and padding to the dimly lit kitchen. He searched her cupboards for a glass and filled it with water, stealing his nerves and his temper so that he wouldn't snap back at her; he couldn't stand it when people were difficult for no good reason. He turned back around and took a seat opposite her on the carpet, placing the glass of water in front of her on the coffee table and next to her prescriptions. She eyed him carefully with calculating blue orbs as he picked up the box's of pills and ripped the labels off to get inside, starting to read the note left by her doctor with a confused frown as he began to match names to dosages. Anzu felt her anger dissolve slightly as she watched him; she knew not taking her medicine was incredibly detrimental to her health, but a part of her also knew that she had done it for his sympathy. She frowned at the thought; since when had she become so self absorbed.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the cushions next to her softening as Yami took a seat. He took her good hand gently in his and opened it up to place a few different pills gently into her palm. She kept her head down as she stared at her hand, feeling suddenly embarrassed at her childish attitude towards him. He dipped his head to get her eye's to meet his, they were wide with concern at how she was acting.

"Please, Anzu..." He muttered.

She felt tear's prick her eyes as she leant forwards to pick up the water, popping the pills onto her tongue gently before swallowing. She placed the glass back carefully before settling back into her seat, unable to meet his burning gaze as her skin heated in embarrassment. The tears started to flow freely down her cheeks and she leant away from him as she felt herself unable to control them. She felt the warmth of his hand on her shoulder as he tried to comfort her, but there was nothing in this moment that could truly dampen the splitting of her heart; she so badly wanted to hate him for bringing such pain and fear into her life, but she had such a burning love for him that more often than not it dissolved all other emotions until all she was left with was this feeling of complete and utter fullness. She was sobbing now, her hand trying to cover her eyes as she turned it fully away from him; no way was he going to see her like this.

"Anzu! What's the matter?" He prodded gently, trying to lean around her to see her face better. Four years with his own body and he still had no idea of the boundaries of personal space or how to handle certain emotional situations, but he was getting better according to Yugi. This, however, was a true test of his abilities as he watched her with a worried frown; his brother had been right, she really was upset. But with him? He couldn't tell.

"You know, I was supposed to have a dance audition today..." She sniffed, managing to control her emotions as she stared out at the flat grey sky.

Yami stayed quiet, watching her carefully.

She smiled bitterly, "It was for the royal academy of dance in New York. They were holding auditions for their next lot of seniors. But I couldn't go, because..." She felt hot angry tears sting her eyes again. "Because of _this_!" She gestured down at herself, her arm sitting useless in it's sling, her foot throbbing from the weight she'd put on it earlier.

"Anzu, I had no idea…" Yami started, unsure of what to say for once. She looked at him then and she saw the pain in her eyes, so obviously there and yet she had been trying to hide it for so long. How had he been so clueless?

"Do you know how many times they come to Domino City, Yami?"

He shook his head at her piercing gaze; it was his turn now to avert his eye's in embarrassment.

"Every four years." Saying the words felt like a stab in the gut. "And by then I will be twenty five and too old to qualify." Just like that, her world came crashing down again.

Guilt washed over Yami like a bad smell as he shut his eye's to try and get rid of the vision of Anzu trussed and bound to that chair, covered head to toe in her own blood. The metallic stench of it still haunted him now and he knew that he would never be able to get that image out of his head. She had no idea, but out of everyone excluding Yugi, he cared for her the most. He had never felt anger like that, it was so raw, so electric that it made his skin dance and his muscles ache. She had been so hurt, so punished for his sheer existence and it was something that he would probably never forgive himself for.

"- And I'm just so _angry_!" Her voice was getting louder now. "Because If it wasn't for _you_ I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place! But I can't stay mad at you because I love you _so_ much that it hurts! More than I ever thought was possible! And I'm just so confused because I don't know what I'm supposed to feel now!" Her head fell down into her good hand as she cried again, her explanation trailing off into hiccups and sobs.

Yami sat stunned, his eye's wide with shock as he stared at her. Had she just said what he thought she did? Did she really love him? He felt his heart flutter at the thought and he was surprised by that. He had noticed a certain attraction towards her a while back but he just thought that his new body was still getting adjusted and because Anzu was one of the only women he knew it was only natural to find her attractive, right? But it had been different, like he was pulled in her direction. He would always seek her out or stand next to her when with the gang, he would listen intently to her stories even if he had no idea what she was talking about and he would come to her dance recitals even though she would ask him not to just because watching her dance made him feel like he was back _home_. It was an odd feeling and he had no idea why it had that affect on him, but it was a comfort and he drank it up like soda on a hot summers day.

But this was just all hormones, right?

"You love me?" He said quietly, his eye's watching her intently.

She froze, her bangs shadowing her eye's as her hand fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "Of course I do. We're friends, right?"

Her tone was not convincing but Yami nodded anyway, "Of course." He gave a small laugh of approval, not believing it himself either.

A silence engulfed the room as they sat there next to each other, an awkwardness settling within the confined space between them which made Yami frown in concern; since when was there any awkwardness between them. He contemplated Anzu's words, turning to stare at her as she in turn stared out of her window and onto the city of Domino. Her dream had been shattered all because of him and it was another thing he could add to his list of unforgivable acts; his list was getting pretty long, he noted dryly. He shut the vault door in his head on that matter, he could deal with it later when there weren't more pressing matters at hand.

"I am truly sorry, Anzu. I want to make it up to you. Maybe I could look after you here for a bit? I'm sure Isis would let me work from home and I could cook you dinner and clean -"

"Yami. No."

He blinked, "No?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to be looked after. I think ... I think I just need some space." The words were out before she had a chance to take them back and a small feeling of regret began to build in the back of her mind.

"What do you mean?" He asked, shock filtering in his system as he realised that he knew the answer already.

"From you. I need some space from you..." She spoke so quietly Yami wasn't even sure he had her right.

"So you mean, no longer be friends?" His heart hammered in his chest at the thought.

She nodded slowly, "Just until I get myself back together. I need some time to think, I need _space._ "

She kept emphasising this one word and the more she said it the more he felt the virtual slap in the face. His chest heaved slightly at her declaration and he suddenly realised he was standing, his eye's wide with shock as he stared down at her. She was looking at him calmly, her eyes cold and unsympathetic for his cause.

"I... I don't know what to say." He muttered, running a hand through his already tousled hair.. "Anzu, it doesn't have to be this way! I can make it up to you, I pro-"

"Please Yami. I Think you should go." She gestured loosely towards the door.

He stared at her, not believing what he was hearing but the words still slamming his mind like a hammer on nails all the same.

"Anzu, I-"

"Yami... Please will you just-" She sighed heavily, cutting off her own explanation before shaking her head slowly and turning to look back out the window again.

Yami watched her silently, wishing that she didn't feel this way but feeling guilty all the same at the fact that he had single handedly completely broken her. Sure, he could blame it on the people who took her or the millennium puzzle he too so desperately sought after, but at the end of the day, his decision to stay in the mortal world with his friends had caused this madness. It was his sheer existence that had put her in this situation and he made a silent vow to himself that he would spend the rest of his waking hours making it up to her. He turned his gaze away, his bangs shadowing his face as he ran one more tired hand through his tanged locks before making his way to the door. He turned as he reached it, watching her again before cementing his decision and shutting the barrier tight behind him.

As soon as the door shut she let herself break, tears streaming down her pink cheeks as she mourned the momentary loss of her closest friend. She would miss him to hell and back, but she had to do this for her own sanity; it was the right choice, the right decision to make whilst she tried to sort through her emotions towards him. It would be hard and difficult, but hopefully at the end, he would accept her friendship again and they could go on as normal.

She crumpled, her head falling into her hand as she cried into the silent mist that descended over her now empty apartment. Yam watched from the window, his gaze analysing her broken form before his determination resolved and he strode away; he would make this up to her and dam straight would she remember it.

His flowers lay forgotten on the table.

xxx

 _She slept fitfully that night, her head tossing and turning as her dreams were filled with dark crimson orbs and flickering firelight. She was dancing, her hips swaying and her arms above her head in a sensual display of feminine beauty. She flicked her wrists, the movement ricocheting down to her shoulder as she threw her head from side to side and felt her stomach muscles tense in response, her hips gliding in rhythm to the beat of the music that thrummed insistently from the handmade instruments plucked by pheasants to her right. Her garb was neutral in colour, its thin fabric doing nothing to conceal the sweat that dripped over her tanned skin as she moved._

 _She frowned. Tanned? Since when had she been tanned?_

 _Her dancing continued against her own will as she observed her surroundings carefully. Everything came in blinks and flashes; a few shots here and there of other women dancing, men pursuing and then those mysterious, sharp eye's that seemed to follow her where ever she went. Firelight shone across her skin, illuminating it in a sickly glow of yellow and red as she moved and swayed around it, her focus now within the flames as they almost seemed to swallow her whole, their very being seemingly licking and caressing a the skin around her stomach and eliciting a deep and pleasurable sensation deep within the pits of her soul._

 _She squirmed delightfully in response, giggling behind her hands as she let the flames continue their ministrations, before suddenly those wisps of firelight were replaced with hands and she danced straight into the arms of the man with the crimson orbs. They were burning bright now, mischievous under the glinting starlight of the full moon as he spun her around in circles, his hands resting comfortably and so easily within the folds of her skin._

 _She welcomed him with open arms._

 _He was all encompassing, the only thing that filled her mind, her vision and her senses. He smelt of cinnamon, vanilla and another scent that was so recognisable and yet she couldn't put her finger on it. She was swept away by him, a smile stretching her lips as his arms found her waist and he pressed their bodies together, his face resting in the open curve of her neck as he inhaled her scent. She felt goosebumps rise across her arms from the heat of his touch her face moving to find his as her lips craved love and attention._

 _She gripped his face, her vision still flawed as she desperately tried to see the man who made her toes curl and stomach tingle in anticipation and pleasure._

 _Her vision cleared and just as her eye's were about to move from his lips up she-_

Anzu woke with a start, her chest heaving and sweat pouring from her skin. She sighed, rubbing her hands across her forehead to relieve herself of some of the heat. Her arm ached and her face screwed up in agony as she slowly sat up. Her breathing was heavy and laboured as she reached for the glass of water and pills on the bedside table. She tiredly checked the time and noted it was five in the morning and time to take her next batch of antibiotics and pain medication. She drank steadily, trying to dull the nausea that was rolling in her stomach. She grumbled quietly in response to it; a side effect of all the medication, apparently.

She sat back gently and rested on her propped up pillows, her gaze finding the crack between her curtains as she stared up at the bright full moon, it's gaze seemed to rest solely on her as she stared up at it, her dream haunting her vision as she wondered why on earth and who on earth she had been seeing. She sighed, lying back and rolling over she shut her eye's to drift off back to sleep.

It was just a dream.

xox

First chapter down! Let's see if I can keep this going whilst also writing Silver Linings too … (wish me luck!)

R+R!


	2. Chapter 2: Waking Dream's

So here's an update! I wanted this chapter to be longer, but I think the next one will have more information in it and it will make more sense for how I have the story planned to leave this chapter here as it is.

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviews, you guys are the best!

xox

Mortal life was hard work, Yami had decided.

As a spirit, he had the unique and useful ability to shrink back into the deep depths of his millennium puzzle whenever any emotional or awkward tension filtered through their small group of friends and let his younger self, Yugi, take over and deal with it in his patient and guilt free manner. However, he now had to sit through it and endure it along with his own body and complicated emotions. It was fucking exhausting; he felt like he was constantly having to apologise to people.

He was currently wrapped in a blanket in front of the radiator in his room. Isis had done a miracle bringing his body back into the new age modern world but it came with it's drawbacks; he felt the cold, _bitterly._ He angrily blamed it on his Egyptian heritage whenever Joey poked fun of him for it but never the less he struggled terribly throughout winter and only really left his and Yugi's apartment for work or to run errands. He was now listed legally as Yugi's elder brother which made sense looks wise but if anyone ever started digging or asking questions him and Isis would have to deal with that _illegally_. He shifted his weight uncomfortably at the idea, ridding himself of that thought; who would need to dig into his past anymore anyway?

He rubbed his eye's tiredly, trying to rid himself of the sleepiness that had now descended across his face, but his mind was still wide awake. The other lasting side effect of his new body was the frustratingly incurable insomnia; luckily here in the modern world they have coffee where as back in ancient Egypt he was stuck with nothing. He grumbled under his breath in what Yugi called his 'grandpa' mode, which wasn't actually far from the truth considering he _was_ five thousand years old.

His mind wandered back to the moment he had stood before the gates to the afterworld, on one side was his old family and friends, their faces hopeful but calm, slowly beckoning him towards them. But then behind him was his new found family and friends, their shouts and cries of despair at him leaving them was too much to ignore and when he turned to see them, crimson caught cerulean and he knew in that moment that he had to stay there, he had to stay there with her.

At the thought of this his head turned back to his laptop that sat open by his feet. He leant forwards and continued to scroll through the web page until he reached the 'contact us' section. There was one upside to having insomnia, he thought with a small smile as he picked up his phone and started to dial the number on his screen; people in New York had just started their working day whilst the inhabitants of Domino City slept.

"Ah yes, good morning. I was wondering if I could speak to someone about the dance auditions that were held in Domino City today..."

xox

Anzu tapped her food impatiently as she stared at the doctor sat across from her, his gaze fixed solely on the most recent x-ray of her healing arm. She fidgeted nervously, her fingers finding the fraying hem of her new cast as she picked at the threads that tickled her wrist. She felt a hand squeeze her free one and she cast her eye's sideways to see Serenity there, watching her with a concerned frown.

"Are you ok?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, I'm fine." She smiled tightly; she hated being mothered.

She turned stern blue orbs back onto the doctor as she watched him analyse her bones. She had just asked him whether or not it would be possible for her to dance again once the cast was off. Would her arm move the same? Would it even look the same? She felt her chest heavy with nerves and she swallowed the thick lump in her throat to try and alleviate some of the pressure. She almost jumped as the young, handsome man turned back to her and smiled reassuringly.

He gave a shrug and nod of approval. "I don't see why not. Your cast will come off in approximately four weeks depending on your next x-ray and there will be physiotherapy for you to complete once it's off, but I don't see how it will affect your dance career. You should be fine."

He gave her another toothy smile and she felt her own emerge as relief flooded her system. Serenity clapped excitedly next to her as she squealed in delight at the news.

"Oh, Anzu! That's wonderful!"

"Yes. Thank god!" She laughed lightly, thanking the doctor politely.

The man's gaze softened with warmth at her reaction and she felt a blush creep across her cheeks; she may love another, but that doesn't mean she's not swayed by a handsome man in a white coat.

"Go to reception and make another appointment with me for four weeks time. We'll re x-ray and evaluate it again then."

"Thank you." Anzu replied, nodding her head respectfully before departing with Serenity in tow.

"You go to the car," The auburn haired woman started, handing Anzu the key's, "And I'll go and sort out this next appointment."

Anzu nodded, not arguing for once and letting someone else do something for her. It was strange being incapacitated; she was so used to looking after herself, being independent was a part of her upbringing as her parents were off working most of the time and so when the accident happened-

 _Accident._

The word rang in her head sharply, bouncing off the walls of her skull painfully that made her visibly wince in discomfort. The whole thing had been a _dam_ accident, and yet she had still taken her frustrations out on Yami and pushed him away. She hadn't seen him in two weeks and even though the time had gone relatively quickly she missed him fiercely every day. The idea of not seeing him again made her heart sink and so she would push away the thoughts and concentrate on just getting better. But now, with the news that she could dance again it made the guilt even more present and locking it away in the vault in her head was becoming harder and harder to achieve; soon it would burst open and drown her in the deep depths of emotional depression.

She sighed heavily, opening the car door and shutting it quickly behind her. Rain started to pelt the windscreen and she found herself getting lost within the noise of water on glass, the rhythmic nature of it's wild beat. She shut her eye's, tiredness suddenly sweeping over her as she felt her mind wander into the dark abyss of sleep.

 _She was dancing again, the orange firelight reflecting off the sweat that glistened on her dark skin. She turned, her hips moving in the same manner as before, her arms above her head and her legs moving gracefully around the room as she shut her eyes and span._

 _A room._

 _She was inside this time. The fire in a deep pit in the centre of the columns that outlined the circular space. The ceiling was tall and vast, it's canopy seemingly weightless as she cast her gaze around and tried to see where she was. The vision came in flashes again, only this time she was dancing alone. She saw no other women dancing or men joining in as well, only silken sheets covering marble stone and ornate decorations that littered the floor in a blatant display of wealth and power. She turned and immediately saw crimson, the same piercing gaze as before that was now heated and raw, tearing her mental barriers down and seeking solace within the deep centre of her soul._

 _She spotted a throne, it's golden decor bounced the fire light harshly back at her and made the man sitting there difficult to see, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that the eye's belonged to him and she unwillingly saw them again, filling her mind, her senses and every fibre of her being._

 _She span, the sweat now dripping down her forehead as the silken garment that she was wearing clung to her skin and left nothing to the imagination. She felt completely bare, for all the world to see, but it was just them._

 _Just him and her together as she danced and he watched._

 _Suddenly he was there again, his arms encircling her waist as she span around and he caught her with ease. He felt so familiar, his aura was something she had sensed before and yet she couldn't pin point it as they danced together. She felt a lust for him start to grow within the pit of her stomach and she tried to push it away but the darker side of her mind welcomed it with open arms. She knew this man was forbidden and yet she couldn't stop herself from pushing her hips towards his and relishing in the small noise that erupted from the back of his throat._

 _His hands danced across her back, the tips of his fingers tickling the skin beneath and causing goosebumps to ripple across her flesh. She felt her mouth open in a gasp as she tipped her head back, trying to see his face beneath hooded lashes, but he continually escaped her vision except for those bright crimson orbs. She felt his breath tickle her lips and her mouth parted in anticipation as-_

The car door slammed shut and Anzu jumped awake, a yelp escaping her lips as she sat forwards in her seat. Serenity sat next to her, a perplexed look grazing her pale features.

She blinked, "Er, are you ok?"

Anzu nodded, her hands trembling. "Yea, I think so..."

"Your sweating?" She rested a cold hand against her burning forehead and frowned in response. "Your not getting sick are you?"

"No, nothing like that. I just had a bad dream..." Anzu muttered the last part, unsure herself whether or not this recurring so called 'dream' she was having was in fact, just that.

"Oh! You must be tired, let's get you home out of this weather so you can get some rest."

The car started and they rolled out of the parking lot, the radio playing quietly in the background as Serenity hummed along and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. Anzu's mind wandered in and out of her vision, every time she blinked she was greeted with the sight and sounds of her waking dreams. The warmth of the fire and the heated gaze of crimson eye's stayed with her even after the sweat cooled off and the nausea wore down. Even when she was sat at home and evening was settling in around her she still felt that piercing look that made her soul ache as if she _missed_ it. She longed to shut her eye's and sleep, but the thought of going back to that place scared her because she had no clue whatsoever as to what was happening.

The word vision stuck with her and her eyes snapped open as a sudden realisation hit her. Were these visions? Ask her that same question a few years ago now and she would of brushed you off and deemed you crazy, but after meeting the pharaoh anything was possible. She frowned and rubbed her temples, trying to rid herself of the idea so that she wouldn't fixate on it, but even as she got ready for bed and slipped beneath the covers, switching the television on across the room, she found those images clawing back to the front of her mind and before she could stop herself, her eyelids slid shut and she was back in the warmth of a crimson coloured world.

 _Another room._

 _This was one was quieter though, much calmer. There was no fire pit and she wasn't dancing, just standing and waiting. She felt her nerves on edge and she fought them back down with a deep swallow, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. Her sight was clearer this time and there weren't as many flashes, allowing the details of the room to start to appear from the darker edges of her peripheral vision. There was a lot of silk lining the walls and draped across the ceiling, columns lined the open space to her left that walked out onto a vast terrace, the view a distant memory as she turned her attention back to warmth of the space ahead of her._

 _She could feel it; his stare._

 _She shivered unwillingly, but still didn't move. She was once again clad in a gown of thin, soft material, but this one at least had much more coverage. The glow from a dying fire in the pit in the corner gave light to many golden ornaments that lined the walls, but this space was not crowded like the last, merely tastefully decorated to allow room for the viewer to feel calm and welcome. She sighed, releasing some of the tension that descended across her shoulders and blinked, a flash of darkness suddenly obstructing her view._

 _Then she saw him._

 _He was lounging across from her in a huge king sized, four poster bed. It was heavily draped with silken curtains and the bedsheets were messy and displaced, resting loosely around his naked hips that led her wide cerulean eye's up the planes of his chest and to rest solely upon his crimson gaze. His whole head down to his shoulders was shrouded in darkness, but his bright orbs shone through like two stars on a dark nights sky. His gaze was hooded but burning, seemingly comfortable with merely admiring her from a distance. But he wasn't just doing that, she could sense something else, something primal that clawed at the age old senses of a man and a woman that were meant to be together._

 _She shifted her weight uncomfortably, trying to ignore the pool of pleasure that had settled between her thighs; this man was dangerously addictive._

 _"Don't be scared."_

 _His voice, like velvet, shocked her senses; she had never heard him speak before. It sounded so familiar, the deep baritones that rumbled off of his chest and yet she couldn't place it for the life of her; his name sat frustratingly on the tip of her tongue. His voice was so soft and genuine that she wasn't even sure she had heard him correctly. When his gaze never left hers she assumed he was waiting for an answer and so replied._

 _"I'm not."_

 _The defiance that shone through her smarted him slightly and his eye's widened a tad at her confidence and not to mention complete and utter lack of respect towards his position of power. He smiled, none the less._

 _"Brave of you, little one."_

 _Again, she felt pleasure surge and she wrestled it down until all she could do was stand patiently; if he asked her to move she wasn't sure what would happen. She heard the sheets rustle and she watched as he too adjusted his position._

 _"Will you dance for me?"_

 _The command was softly spoken and held no malice or ill intent and even though she wanted to defy his orders and stamp her feet in stubbornness she felt her body move of its own accord. Her hands lifting gently to rest above her head, her hips starting to sway softly before she started a rhythm and began dancing._

 _The air was humid despite the lack of fire and soon the same sweat she had felt before began to trickle down her back and cling to the fabric of her dress. But dancing was her life, the one thing that kept her going above all else. She could get lost in it, become someone else entirely for just a moment until the sharp slap of reality would bring her back to present day until all she could do was start it all over again the next time._

 _So if the Pharaoh wanted her to dance, she would dance._

 _Wait, Pharaoh? …_

Anzu awoke with a start, almost falling out of bed and banging her cast arm onto her bedside table. She winced as pain shot up into her shoulder and she rolled onto her back, letting it rest across her torso as the burning pain calmed down and her breathing slowed to a steady rate again. Nausea still rolled in her stomach as her head span with visions.

Pharaoh. That man was a Pharaoh!

The coincidence was almost too much for her to bare and she gripped her head in frustration as she squeezed her eye's shut to try and ride herself of the idea. But every time she closed her eye's the visions came flying back and she groaned in annoyance.

It couldn't possibly be Yami, could it?

If it was then she had truly gone crazy. Perhaps the emotional tear that had seized her since she had broken off their friendship had finally become too much and she was now fantasising about them together in Ancient Egypt. She scoffed in annoyance, brushing that idea aside; she wasn't a young girl anymore, she was a woman and she had stopped dreaming of a life with this man a long time ago.

Of course she loved him, she wasn't kidding anyone denying that. But that didn't mean that they should be together. The films and books always make love out to be this amazing emotion that fixes everything and then you live happily ever after, but what the authors and directors don't tell you is that reality doesn't work like that and life gets in the way.

She rubbed her eye's wearily, the television still blaring in the background, it's static light bouncing off the dark corners of her room. She snapped up the controller and shut it off with a satisfied huff, turning to switch on her bedside lamp so she could clamber out of bed and to her bookcase opposite. Her arm throbbed slightly with the effort but she shut it away in the vault in her head so she could concentrate.

She had many books on Ancient Egypt tucked away amongst her dance studies and fiction titles that littered the shelves and she reached for them now in some desperate hope of finding answers. Padding back to her bed she dumped the books onto the mattress from her good arm and started to prop her pillows up so as to get comfortable.

When she sat down she stared at the material in front of her and felt her heart sink at the sight.

It was going to be a long night.

xox

R+R!


	3. Chapter 3: Flashback

Yey, an update! Let's hope I can keep this up and post regularly. Thank you for the reviews and hello to any new followers!

Sorry there's no YamixAnzu flashback smut in this but there will be in the next chapter, promise!

Enjoy!

xox

"Are you sure your ok?"

Anzu glanced up to see a pair of concerned lavender eye's staring back. She frowned; Yugi was insatiable sometimes, he just couldn't leave her be unless he deemed it appropriate. His concern was appreciated but often misplaced and she found herself growing more and more frustrated as the years went past and his naivety and innocence only seemed to grow into a mature sense of knowledge, rather than dissipating.

"I'm fine, Yugi. Just tired. Now, show me what this piece does?" She picked up a small figurine from the new board game Yugi had found in a local game shop.

He sighed in defeat and motioned for her to hand it to him, "She's a healer. A good piece to have in your team if you have more than one attacker in play."

She blinked and stared down at the small woman she held in her good hand. She ran it through her fingers gently, watching the pristine face of the unblinking elf as it rolled back and forth across her skin. It unnerved her, how peaceful she looked. Despite the fact that it was just a piece of plastic, Anzu couldn't help but feel like there was a person in there; duel monsters had ruined that for her. She ignored Yugi's outstretched hand as he patiently waited for her to hand over the piece so he could show her how to use it, instead she placed it back into her team on her side of the board, feeling a small teasing smile stretch her lips in his direction. She couldn't quite place it, but she felt a pull towards this particular piece; just like she did with Dark Magician Girl.

"I think I'll keep her." She grinned, leaning forwards and placing her chin into her good hand.

Yugi sighed and dropped his hand, smiling back at her. He had come to talk to her about Yami under the disguise of wanting to try this new game with her, but his confidence dropped as soon as she opened the door. She looked so exhausted he just couldn't bring himself to ask her about him.

She was also incredibly stubborn.

"You know," He started, picking up a small warrior. "I like this little guy." He smiled, handing it to her so she could get a better look.

She frowned, turning it in her hands. "Why? There's nothing special about him."

"Well, " Yugi drew out the word, taking the figurine back and placing him on the board in attack mode. "You may think that. But as a warrior, he protects his other teammates. See?" Yugi moved him in front of a healer he already had on the board, "But sometimes, he get's cut down, or distracted and so has to move away leaving the healer vulnerable to attack." Anzu followed his movements with glassy cerulean orbs; she knew exactly what he was going to say next. "But that's not his fault if she gets hurt." He picked up the healer. "Because it's all just apart of the bigger picture." He finally gestured to himself, the player. "Do you understand?" He asked quietly.

Anzu sat back in her seat, turning her head away and looking out the window as she hastily wiped the tears away from her cheeks. She sniffed, avoiding eye contact with the younger male for as long as she could until the situation was almost unavoidable. But Yugi knew her, he knew that if he waited patiently and gave her enough time, her own thoughts would bring her around to the right decision, the right choice. So he sat and watched her quietly, every so often glancing back down at the rule book; he did genuinely want to learn this game.

"You and your dam words," She laughed bitterly. "You've always known what to say, Yugi." She smiled at him despite her tone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't come here to upset you Anzu, but he's my brother. I cant ignore whats happened. None of us can. I just want to understand what occurred from _your_ point of view."

She blinked. "He didn't tell you?"

He shook his head, "I've asked multiple times but he just says you don't want to see him anymore and thats it."

Guilt tugged at her chest. "Ah, I see..." tear's threatened to fall again, but she didn't try and disguise it; Yugi was one of her oldest friends. "Well, " She sniffed. "He came to see me, to apologise I think for what happened. But I wasn't in a good place, Yugi, you understand that right? I was angry. _I was so angry_. I just asked him for some space, I _needed_ some time to think about what I wanted." She chanced a look at him through her tears only to see him waiting passively for her to continue, no emotion flittering across his boyish features.

"We cant go on like this. Too many of us are getting hurt now. I got lucky this time, the doctor said it wouldn't affect my dance career. But what about the next time? What if it happens _again_ and its _worse?_ " She shuddered, she didn't understand how much worse it could get. "I don't know how much more I can take, Yugi..."

She sighed and leant forwards, covering her face with her free hand, her vision latching on to the gaudy cast that supported the other.

"I know..." His whispered response caught her off guard and her eyes shot up to meet his sad gaze.

"You do?"

He nodded, "I've already spoken to Yami about it. Him and Isis are working hard to conceal the where a-bouts of the millennium items, but unfortunately people are persistent. _Too_ persistent." He frowned.

She breathed a silent sigh of relief; she thought she was going to have to endure the wraith of Yugi's seldom use judgement.

"But," He leant towards her. "Consider this. They wont stop if your friends with Yami or not. If your here in Domino City or dancing in New York, they will still use you to get to him, because you are someone that he _cares_ about. He can protect you, but not if you keep him at arm's length. The safest place you can be right now, is _with him_. Not _without_ him."

His words hung in the air like a bad smell, haunting her mind as she felt her breathing shallow. How could she of been so stupid?! Yugi was right - _of course Yugi was right_. The guilt lifted and was replaced with a sense of urgency as she found herself standing and running around her apartment in search of her coat and purse.

"What are you doing?!" Yugi gasped, jumping to his feet and trying to stop her from damaging her arm any further.

"I have to find him Yugi! I have to see him and fix this! _I have to make this right._ " She grit her teeth as the tears flowed freely now.

She saw his shoulders sag,"He's not here. He's away on business. I don't know where, Isis wouldn't tell me."

Anzu heaved, releasing her breath and falling back onto the sofa. "When is he back?"

The young man shrugged. "A week. Maybe two. She was very vague, usually I can get all the details but this time..."

She listened to Yugi mumble as she stared at the white paint of her dusty ceiling. In that moment, she made a promise to herself, a promise to find him and make this right. Make this whole dam thing right.

"You look really tired, Anzu. Why don't you get some rest? I'll let you know when he's back." Yugi smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it lightly.

A frown marred her features as she thought about sleeping; the past few visions she'd had had been _particularly_ life like. An idea crossed her mind suddenly and she looked up at him thoughtfully.

"Yugi, where can I find Isis?"

xox

She stared at the sign on the plaque attached to the door. 'Ishtar' was written in bright gold letters and she felt her toes curl involuntarily as an image of Marik flitted across her vision. But Isis was not Marik, she reminded herself, steeling her nerves and raising her good hand to knock on the door. The museum had been open when she came but not particularly busy; apparently Ancient Egypt wasn't a popular topic on a Tuesday afternoon. She glanced around the corridor's nervously, hoping that the security she had slipped past wouldn't catch up to her.

She frowned when there was no answer to her knock. The lady on reception had said she was working today so she tried again, but this time as her fist knocked against the wood, the force nudged the already loose latch and the door swung open. She blinked, her hand still raised as she poked her head in and glanced around. No one met her vision and so she stepped in quietly and pushed the door back behind her, not shutting it in case Isis came back. She wandered over to the elder woman's desk, running her fingers across it's worn surface as she perused some of the open files that lay unused across it; just news about some old artefact found in South America.

She turned her attention to the room and frowned slightly when she saw another desk opposite Isis's, their wooden backs pressed together to create one giant square desk. She saw a different set of notes lying there and as she peered closer at the handwriting she immediately felt her heart rate pick up.

It was Yami's.

She quickly rounded the joint desks and faced his, her hand running over the leather jacket that sat forgotten on the back of his chair. The dim yellow glow of lamps were the only source of light in the room and she felt herself squinting as she analysed his desk. She felt her heart tug as she suddenly missed him; missed the smell of his cologne and the messy feel of his hair when he hugged her and the warmth of his skin when he caught her from slipping or tripping over her own feet. She missed the rich mahogany of his voice and the way it impossibly deepened as he laughed, a dark chuckle that seemed to always erupt from no where and catch her off guard.

She sighed, her eye's glancing from the neatly organised stationary in the corner to the empty sweet wrappers that littered the centre of his desk around his notes; a nasty habit he had picked up in the new world was a sweet tooth, which she forever berated him about. She smiled shaking her head as she carried on her analysis. She saw photo's next, pictures of pyramids and ancient tombs, followed closely by a map with red x's littering it's dusty surface. Probably places that him and Isis hadn't checked yet.

Finally, her gaze landed on the bundle of photo frame's on the corner of his desk, his camera lay next to them, it's black strap falling back and over the edge of the oak. She smiled at the memory of his first birthday here; they had all chipped in and bought him a professional camera as a surprise present. Since being here he had wanted to document everything they did together, often hijacking her camera when they were out and spending all day taking pictures of them all together so that he could ' _capture their memories_ ', he had said.

The look on his face when he received his own that morning was a moment she would never forget.

Her eye's found a group picture of them all, a gold rim framing it beautifully. Next she saw him and Yugi, Yami holding him in a headlock, both laughing and smiling. Solomon was in there somewhere as well as some of Yami's old friends from Ancient Egypt he had managed to find with the help of Isis. But then her eye's landed on a very familiar face and she almost choked on her breath as she stared down at it's glossy surface. She felt a gasp escape her lips as she leant forwards and picked up the silver frame, clutching it tightly in her good hand.

It was a picture of _her._

She almost dropped the frame in shock, but managed to catch it clumsily against her body before staring down at it again with wide eye's. It was a picture of her, with no one else in it. _Just her._ Her head was titled back and over her shoulder, one hand up to keep the hair out of her face as she smiled for the picture. Her eye's reflected the glittering surface of the ocean as the setting sun created a glowing halo around her head. That was right, she remembered, they had gone to the beach that day and he had insisted he took his camera even though they were only going for a walk along the sand to clear their heads and enjoy the last of the summer sun. She felt tear's prick her eye's as she continued to stare down at the image of herself. She wasn't a vein person, nor did she care much for how she looked in most images, but the reason she cried was because she felt so violated. That woman staring back at her was so happy, so carefree.

Where had it all gone wrong?

"He really care's about you, you know."

Anzu started, her fingers slipping from the frame and she watched with wide eye's as it clattered to the floor, the rug bouncing it harmlessly to an abrupt stop.

"Isis!" Anzu gasped, her now free hand clutching her chest as she caught her breath. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to intrude in your office I just came to see you-"

"It's ok. The receptionist informed me you were here." She smiled warmly, but her demeanour changed when she caught sight of Anzu's bound arm. "Oh my dear, you poor thing." She rushed forwards, hands outstretched as she took her fingers gently and rubbed her thumb across the bruised knuckles. "Yami told me what happened."

"Ah..." Anzu started, suddenly feeling at a loss at what to say.

"I'm so sorry." The older woman murmured, her eye's full of regret. "If it wasn't for our presence here in this world, this wouldn't be happening to you."

"It's ok," Anzu smiled softly, trying to avoid eye contact. "I don't put any blame on you for anything, so..." she trailed off.

"But you put blame on him?" Isis gestured to Yami's desk, catching the knowing tone in Anzu's voice. The question was tentative but not judgemental.

"I did. I still do a little, but that's fading now."

Isis nodded. "Like I said. He care's about you. _A lot_." She bent down to pick up the picture and gave the younger woman a knowing glance as she placed it back to its rightful place on his desk. Anzu felt a blush creep up her neck and she shifted her weight awkwardly as she tried to untangle herself from the situation.

"He's away on ... business." Isis started, avoiding giving any details that didn't go unnoticed on the brown haired girl. "He'll be back soon though. It was only a few days away."

"Actually," Anzu started. "I came to see you."

" _Oh?_ " Isis looked up from where'd she sat down at her desk, her dark eye's round with surprise.

Her and Anzu were not exactly close friends. They got on well and she had a lot of respect for the young woman who was slowly but surely stealing the pharaohs heart, but the enormous age gap between them made her feel more like her mother than her friend. It was a sad truth; her friends were few and far between in this world. She smiled none the less, feeling her chest lift slightly at the knowledge that a fellow woman had sought her out.

"What can I do for you Anzu?" She gestured for her to take a seat.

Anzu perched on the edge of Yami's chair across from the elder woman, the dim yellow light in the basement office illuminating her tanned skin in a sickly hue of orange. She swallowed the lump rising in her throat; she was nervous, she realised.

"Well," she started, drawing out the word much like Yugi does. "I was wondering whether or not you had any books on life in Ancient Egypt...?"

The question was too vague for it to be merely out of interest and the way she asked it was as if the question itself was forbidden, which made Isis eye her carefully, taking in the tell tale signs of the dark bags under her eyes and the subtle nervous shifting of her bright blue orb's as if she was trying to avoid making eye contact with the older woman. She smiled gently, understanding coursing through her veins as she thought back onto the recent findings she had made in regards to the pharaohs reign. He didn't know yet but she had made considerable process in finding out as much as she could about him. She was going to bundle all the information together and present it to him soon but this now threw a spanner in the works as she debated whether or not to tell Anzu one small piece of information she had stumbled across.

"Anything in particular?" Isis asked, careful to make the question sound genuine and not prying.

Anzu shrugged, a good act, "Nothing really, no. I just wanted to learn more about where Yami came from."

Isis nodded and smiled warmly again, but as she turned to stand Anzu''s voice had gone quiet as she interrupted her movements.

"Actually..."

Isis paused, waiting for her to continue. "It's more to do with the life of royalty, their ' _privileges'_ if you will..." She let her explanation trail off, staring up at her elder beneath a line of thick lashes. "You know, like what they do for fun?"

Isis stopped the bubble of laughter rising in her throat. "What they do for _fun?_ "

"Not fun, thats the wrong word." Anzu babbled, shaking her head to the side as if to rid herself of the embarrassment. "I mean what they do in their free time, ya know? Actually, just forget it, it's ok I shouldn't of-"

"Anzu."

She looked up to see Isis holding her hand out to her, the palm outstretched as she helped the young girl to her feet her eye's dancing with barely contained mischief.

"Come with me. There's something you must see."

xox

Yami tapped his foot impatiently, his black boots clicking persistently against the pristine white floor's of the waiting room. The receptionist gave him a pointed look over the rim of her glasses, her piercing gaze forcing him to smile politely and rest a hand on his knee to stop his fidgeting. He turned his attention to the large double doors across from him, flanked either side by marble pillars and what Yami could only describe as the most boring piece of art he had ever seen; a statue of a naked female holding a vase above her head. He frowned at it, who had chosen that abomination? He had flamboyant taste in art and his room reflected that eclectic flare as it was filled to the brim with colour, gold and patterns that made your head spin.

He turned his bored gaze to the large double glazed windows that looked out onto the city below, the yellow taxi cabs the only hue in and otherwise colourless world. He sighed, watching the pedestrians go about their business as his mind wandered back onto the whole dam reason he was here in the first place. Her face filled his mind, her smile stretching her blushing cheeks as she laughed at him down the lens of his camera. _By Ra_ she had looked beautiful that day; her hair ruffled from the fresh sea air, her cheeks flushed from the heat of the now dying sun and her eye's, those big beautiful eyes, were so blue felt his heart jump as memories flashed through his vision. He had almost dropped his camera as he stumbled back, his hand clutching the fabric of his shirt as his heart pounded through the flashbacks, his world spinning as every time he blinked he saw a burning fire and dancing bodies, their tanned skin glowing orange as they danced around the licking flames.

She had grabbed his arm to stop him from falling, her voice flushed with worry as she murmured - _'are you ok?'_ \- over and over again. He still remembered the look on her face and it took all of his self discipline to not grab her and kiss her then and there.

"...-Sir?"

His mind jumped back to reality as he turned to see a beautiful young woman stood before him, her blonde hair pulled back into a high ponytail, her glasses slipping down the straight bridge of her nose as she smiled warmly at him.

"The Director will see you now."

She beckoned to the now open double doors behind him and he stood, nodding his thanks at her politely as he strode into the vast space that the director of the Royal Academy of Dance in New York called his office. Yami spied the man behind a large mahogany desk; surprisingly young despite his obvious professionalism. He stood as Yami entered and they shook hands briskly before the older man motioned for him to take a seat.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Mr. Mutou?"

Yami cringed slightly at the over enthusiastic welcome but he steeled his nerves and held the mans gaze anyway. "I believe we have a mutual friend."

"Oh?" the man's eyebrows shot upwards in surprise. "And who might this be?"

Yami felt his lips tug into a smirk, "Seto Kaiba."

A steely silence engulfed the room as the man's face faltered slightly at the mention of the person behind one of the biggest franchise's of this century.

"Yes. We've met on a number of a occasions. Forgive me, but what does this have to do with dance?"

Yami shrugged, "He owed me a favour. I believe his PA organised this meeting for us?" He cocked his head to the side, crossing one leg over the other as he analysed the man in front of him; he seemed relatively easy to crack. Strange for a man of his calibre.

He nodded tightly, "Yes she did. She is a mutual friend of my daughters."

"The reason I'm here is to talk about a good friend of mine. You held auditions in Domino City recently and she wasn't able to attend due to an accident caused on my behalf. She was in hospital at the time." Yami leant forwards and handed the man the tightly bound folder he had been clutching.

The director took it without second thought and flicked it open, scanning the headshot and contents inside. "Tending to your guilt, Mr. Mutou?"

Ah. _That_ was why he was director; no sympathy beyond what was necessary. This would be tougher than he thought. He ignored the man's comment and carried on.

"She's a fantastic dancer and would probably of gotten through to the next round of auditions if it were not for my mistake."

The directors eyebrows rose again. "You seem very confident in her abilities. I see she is not here with you though? I cant just let people into my school without having seen them dance first, Mr. Mutou."

Yami then held a small usb stick out to the man. "See for yourself. This contains video footage of all of her previous recitals from the past two years."

The director gave a small sigh and leant froward to take the usb out the tanned fingers clutching it and opened the lid of his laptop, tilting his head to slot it into the port on the side. "You know, I thought you had come to offer me an investment."

It was Yami's eyes who rose this time. "I do not follow..." he murmured, frustrated at the sudden change in topic.

"I'm aware of your work at the museum. You've made quite a name for yourself amongst the business men of this world." He gave Yami a knowing look before going back to his laptop and clicking open the first video he came across. Anzu's face flashed across the screen and Yami held his breath as he watched the director watch her dance and twirl across the stage. He took the opportunity to glance around the room; more boring art took up all four corners and there were cabinets lined with rows and rows of golden trophies and first place medals. This place felt so cold and confused, lacking direction or purpose.

Not like Anzu at all.

He frowned.

"You were right it seems." The director muttered quietly, his attention still glued to his computer screen. "She is a stunning dancer. She would most certainly of made it into the school."

Yami felt his heart swell with pride.

"And pretty too." The director flicked a finger towards the headshot that lay open on his desk. "Mazaki Anzu..." he muttered, almost to himself, as if trying the name out on his tongue for the first time. Yami narrowed his eyes at that, the dark shadows that lingered in the dusty corners of his mind awakened suddenly at the opportunity to snap back, but he shoved them down and into their rightful place; now was not the time.

"Will you re-audition her?" Yami asked bluntly; no point beating around the bush.

The man sat back, crossing his legs and peering at Yami from above his joined fingers, his elbows resting on the cushioned arms of his chair. He was clearly contemplating the idea and Yami prayed to every god he could think of that the man said yes. He felt a tightness in his chest however when he watched the man's lips pull into a cheshire grin and he suddenly realised there was no _way_ that he was getting out of this office that easily.

"Yes. I will. But on one condition..."

Yami raised an eyebrow, the only response he trusted himself to give.

"I want something in return."

xox

Isis led Anzu further down into the lower levels of the museum, the dark following them as she flicked on any light switches that they past. She came to a dusty corridor that looked relatively unused and unkept. Anzu's nose wrinkled at the smell of old parchment and rotting paper. She followed Isis deeper into the building until they reached a large doorway that took up the full height of the wall they stood in front of. The older woman fumbled around in side for the light switch and illuminated one of the most jaw dropping sights Anzu had ever seen.

The room was vast, stretching far beyond her line of sight as it covered the whole expanse of the museum itself. Row upon row of shelves ran symmetrically down it's length and were filled with books, scrolls and ancient artefacts so old that the dusty smell made Anzu's eye's water. She blinked, her mouth still held open in shock as she beheld the large stone carvings lining the walls that dwarfed them both, her eye's wandering over their detailed surfaces that told story upon story of times now past.

"This is amazing..." she gasped. "I didn't even know this was down here!"

Isis merely gave a small shrug, "Most museums have large warehouse spaces to store artefacts. Our's just happens to look like some long lost library from Atlantis."

"You don't say." Anzu exhaled, reaching out to run her hand over one of the stone carvings only to stop when she saw Isis shake her head with a small smile.

"No touching." She wagged a finger for exaggeration. "Come. What I wanted to show you is this way."

She turned and started walking down one of the many corridors between two bookshelves, taking so many left and right turns that Anzu began to wonder if she was doing it deliberately so that Anzu wouldn't remember the way back here. She bit the inside of her cheek as she pondered on whether the trip down to the museum had been a good idea after all. Her doubts were soon banished however, once they reached a large bookcase that had the initials 'Pharaoh' on a sticker above it.

"For a while now I've been collecting all I can on Yami and his reign in Egypt when he was alive back then." she gestured to the shelves they now stood in front of. "This is everything I've managed to find so far."

"This is incredible!" Anzu almost laughed with excitement as her fingertips itched to reach out and read through every dam bit of information she could.

"Most of it is relatively mundane. Parchments about politics and law's that he past, signed letters from himself to neighbouring lands in regards to imports and exports. That sort of thing really," Isis ran a hand along one of the shelves, removing dust with it. "But," she started, "I found something recently that was maybe more what your looking for." She reached for a scroll a few shelves up and pulled it down, stepping aside and out of the way of the dust shower that came with it.

"What's it about?"" Anzu asked eagerly, trying to contain her excitement.

"About his _'luxuries'_ within the palace." Isis smiled. She handed the young woman the scroll who accepted it awkwardly with her good hand and carefully knelt on the cold cement floor, rolling it out gently in front of her. She frowned disappointedly at the symbols and hieroglyphics that greeted her vision and looked back up at Isis to silently ask for her help.

"Can you read this?"

She nodded, kneeling next to her. "It talks mostly about his love of art, eccentric jewellery and lavish fabrics. It wasn't a show of wealth but more a hobby of his to collect." She pointed to a sentence nearer the bottom of the parchment. "But it's this that's interesting."

Anzu held her breath, almost knowing exactly what she was going to hear before the words were out of Isis's mouth.

"It say's there was often entertainment in the form of dancers, female of course, for him and the men of his court when a celebration was held. It says he fell in love with one dancer in particular, whose eye's were the colour of the sea and whose wit was as sharp and daring as that of Ra himself."

Anzu felt her heart drop as the dreams she had been having suddenly hit her again full force. She knew it; they had been flashbacks. _Flashbacks._ She felt her head go clammy as her heart rate picked up and a bundle of nerves knotted deep within the depths of her stomach. She swallowed thickly, her palm sweating as she ran a shaking finger along the edge of the parchment and tried to feign ignorance and indifference to what Isis was saying, but inside she was _screaming._ There was no way in hell she had been alive back then. _No way that this dancer with sea blue orbs was her._

She swallowed the lump in her throat, "And why is this bit of information so important?". She inwardly swore at the shaking in her voice.

Isis leant back on her hands, eyeing Anzu with a piercing gaze - _oh god's, she knew._ She smiled, although this was different and spoke knowledge as she watched Anzu sweat under her intense stare.

"Tell me, Anzu, how long have you been having flashbacks for?"

xox

R+R!


	4. Chapter 4: Revelations

Booya! An update!

I hope you enjoy!

xox

 _Darkness._

 _A strange phenomenon, when you think about it. Completely unknown and unexplored and yet we feel so inclined to tentatively step into its depths, curiosity leading us deeper until all we can see is that dank black, it's colour smothering every other sense until all you can feel is fear, panic. Pure adrenaline that makes your muscles shake and your chest ache. The only noise disturbing it's dark surface is the shaking inhale and exhale of your breath, the drip drop of water hitting a metallic surface, the repetitive nature of the noise calming your nerves somewhat before that overwhelming sense of simply not knowing takes over again and your plunged back into a never ending circle of determination closely followed by slack confidence._

Anzu awoke slowly, her vision blurring in and out of focus as she tried to blink her way out of her most recent flashback. Nausea rolled in her stomach and she grimaced as she felt the bile rise in her throat. She groaned, rolling over to see a bright bloom of flowers adorning her hospital bedside table.

She had only just had her cast taken off a week before, leaving behind a spindly pale limb that mocked her every time she tried to circle her arms to dance or glance at herself in a passing mirror. It ached slightly at the thought of it and she looked down to see a small bandage gracing her wrist; she had taken a tumble whilst practicing her signature routine and where her bones and muscles were still healing she had ended up with a nasty sprain, being forced back into hospital by both Yugi _and_ her doctor for an overnight stay to run some scans and make sure she hadn't fractured anything or damaged her previous break.

She glanced at the clock and noted the time; she had an hour until Yugi picked her up. A small overnight bag sat on the chair beside her and she gingerly lifted herself out of the bed to rifle through it and find her toiletries.

The most recent flashback was still running across the front of her mind and she continuously tried to physically shake it away, blinking rapidly as she saw burning flames and glowing tanned skin.

It haunted her waking dreams and she _hated it._

Her meeting with Isis ran through her head again as she pondered on whether or not it was possible that she too was a part of the pharaohs life in some small way before he came here. She wasn't going to lie; she sincerely hoped so. It was obvious that Yugi, Solomon and Kaiba played a big part, as well as the duel monsters of course, but whether or not she had been there with him was something that had always bothered her and played on her mind. Now she had the chance to find out, the chance to _see_ and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

 _"I believe that this woman they are talking about is somehow connected to you." Isis said quietly, her voice seemingly unsure, whether or not she should even be saying the words._

 _Anzu nodded mutely._

 _"I have found some more information that I think you may find useful in helping you understand these flashbacks."_

 _"Their not flashbacks." Anzu snapped back, her voice raising an octave in alarm._

 _Isis moved to stand, holding her hand out to help the younger woman to her feet again. "You may think that now, Anzu. But once they become more vivid and start merging with your every day life, you will understand and accept it more readily."_

 _"... I just-" she sighed. "I don't understand..."_

 _Isis smiled sympathetically. "None of us do. When you want to know more, you can come back. But you must know, even Yami does not know this information yet, so please keep it to yourself until you are ready."_

She had done just that.

The splash of cold water across her face seemed to awaken her thought process even more and she steeled her nerves as she stared at the dull blue orbs gazing back at her in the small mirror above the pale yellow sink of the bathroom, it's fluorescent lighting doing nothing to conceal the large bags under her eyes.

A knock at her door jumped her from her senses and she shouted for whoever it was to come in as she padded out from the bathroom, relaxing once she saw the familiar face of her doctor. His handsome face morphed into a frown at the sight of her.

"Did you not sleep?" He asked, his voice rumbling from his chest after an overnight shift in the hospital.

She smiled shyly, waving away his concern as she padded back to her bed and settled beneath the covers, "Not really. The hospital makes me nervous."

He chuckled lightly, grabbing her chart at the end of her bed and rifling through it, "You and me both, Anzu." He smiled at her, the straight line of his teeth making her blush lightly and glance away.

"Well, it appears that you are on the mend and should be fine. No broken bones, just the sprain. But give it a couple of weeks to fully heal before doing anything drastic. Maybe don't start dancing again until next week just to be safe too."

She sighed heavily, raising her injured hand to him as he approached to inspect it. "It feels like I'll never dance again,"

His fingers were warm against hers and she tried to ignore the goosebumps that tickled across her exposed skin as she averted her gaze and stared out the window at the grey sky still lingering over Domino City.

"Don't say that. I'm sure it will all work out in the end." He smiled reassuringly, squeezing her fingers lightly.

She was about to respond when her door burst open and Joey swaggered in, his familiar smile and wide gate softening her nerves as he sauntered over to her, raising his hand in an over exuberant wave.

"Yo! Anzu!"

Anzu smiled, concealing the bubble of laughter that rose in her throat at the look on the doctors face, "Morning, Joey. Where's Yugi?"

He gestured a thumb over his shoulder, dumping Anzu's overnight bag onto the floor before falling back into the seat. "Parkin' the car." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he yawned tiredly. "It's too early in the mornin' for me, man." He groaned, eyeing the doctor beneath blonde bangs. "So whats the deal, Doc? She gonna be ok?"

The man nodded in response, finally releasing Anzu's hand that she hadn't even realised he had still been holding onto. "She should be all set in a couple of weeks. No dancing until next week though, ok?" He wagged a knowing finger at her as he replaced her chart. "I'll go sign your release papers but consider yourself free to go." He smiled. "Look after yourself, Miss Mazaki."

"Arigatou." She murmured, smiling lightly before she turned to the man currently slumped in the seat beside her, his head resting on his chest as he dozed lightly.

"Joey, I told you to wait!" Yugi berated as he hurried into the room, shutting it quietly behind him, "Morning Anzu!" He smiled. "How are you feeling?"

She nodded. "Better thanks. Just a little bruised but that's all."

"Sorry, Yuge." Joey waved a hand in his direction, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Why are you so tired anyway?" Anzu teased as she slipped on the trainers Yugi handed her. She still had her pyjama bottoms on, but was too comfortable to care as she threw a jumper on over the top and packed away her toiletries.

Joey grinned, cracking an eye open to stare up at Anzu. "Mai came round last night and-"

"Ok! Thank you thats enough. No more!" She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as Yugi laughed.

"I was jus' gonna say we played duel monsters all night, _ya dirty girl!"_ Joey poked her in the side as they made their way down the hospital corridors, heading outside and into the dull morning.

"Yea, yea!" She laughed, leaning into him as he slung an arm around her shoulder.

"So, I'll drop you straight home ok? I think Serenity left some food in the fridge..." Yugi was mumbling as he fumbled with his car keys to get them in the lock.

"Sounds good, Yugi. Thanks again, by the way."

"No problem!" He smiled. "Unfortunately, after this me and Joey have gotta head straight to work so we can't hang around for long."

"Kaiba's made some funky new virtual game he wants us to try out. We'll probably need savin' or summin' so don't get too comfy!" Joey laughed, pointing at Anzu.

She snorted, "You can save yourselves!"

"Nah, man! We'll just get Yami! He's back, right Yuge?"

A silence echoed throughout the car as Anzu's eyes widened a fraction and she stared at Yugi's reflection in the glass of his windshield, watching as his hands tightened on the steering wheel as he drove. He glanced up at Anzu in his rear view mirror before quickly turning his attention back to the road.

"He's back?" She whispered, waiting for confirmation.

Yugi nodded. "Late last night. I heard him come in. I'm sorry Anzu I was going to tell you but I was going to wait until we got you back home, first. _Right Joey?"_ He smacked said man round the head.

 _"Oww._ Yea, Yea, sorry Yuge!" He sighed. "So what ya gonna do?" He turned around in his seat fully to face Anzu who was know staring down at her lap, her confidence that she had felt in apologising to him whilst he was away all but came crashing down now that she realised he was back and she actually had to confront him. She felt her palms grow sweaty with nerves and she clenched her fists to rid herself of the feeling only to wince at the sharp sensation the movement sent through her wrist.

Good, the pain was a distraction.

"I don't know. Apologise? _Grovel?"_

"Bow down at his feet?" Joey supplied, only to back track at the sharp look Yugi gave him. "Orrrr maybe not." He winked at Anzu. "You'll be ok. The guy _never_ holds a grudge."

She sighed, "I know."

"Hey and if that doesn' work, you could always suggest death by stoning? I hear they use' to do that in Ancient- _Owwwww Yuge! Stop hittin' me!"_

xox

 _It started off dark, the corners of the room clouded from his vision as he squinted to get a better few of his surroundings. An orange glow from the dying fire pit in the corner was the only source of light and he found himself leaning forwards slightly as he started to make out the blank shapes of the room; plants, gold and lavish ornaments were scattered everywhere, the finest Egyptian silk gracing his walls, ceilings and the sheets of his bed he currently lay in. To his right was a vast terrace, interrupted only by a few large columns that ran parallel against the length of his room._

 _Yami blinked slowly, instantly recognising his private quarters from his time as Pharaoh._

 _This wasn't the first flashback he had experienced and it most certainly wasn't going to be the last. He had learnt to just roll with it and enjoy the small snippets of memory Ra allowed him to see. They had been few and far between in the last year or so and he assumed it was simply because he was coming up to the time where he sealed himself away into the millennium puzzle._

 _He leant back onto the plush pillow. Enjoying the small breeze that blew in underneath his silk curtains and over the bare skin of his chest, the orange firelight dancing off the shine of his tanned skin. He sighed softly, the peace and quiet of the palace at night time was always his favourite and he hoped that every time he visited his memories in Ancient Egypt he would get to stay for this part too; it always calmed him, helped him think and reason. Modern day life in the twenty-first century was stressful enough let alone having to learn it's ways._

 _There was something else here that he hadn't experienced before, however. A strange sense of satisfaction that tickled his skin pleasurably and left a pool of anticipation deep beneath his belly button._

 _The bed shifted next to him._

 _He froze._

 _His wine coloured orbs snapped open and hastily glanced to his right, spotting a small figure sleeping soundly beneath the sheets. He noted the brown hair that was spilling over the pillow and the smooth skin rounding over the full curves of what appeared to be a woman. He blinked, unsure whether what he was seeing was real or not; he had always wondered whether he took a wife as Pharaoh, but judging by the ring free hand that lay next to her concealed face he did more than just pick his mate for life. He lifted the sheets and glanced down, noticing rather surprisingly that he too was naked._

 _Well, that explains the left over feelings of pleasure._

 _He cast his gaze back to the woman next to him, his curiosity starting to peak as he wondered what on earth she looked like. She was currently sprawled on her stomach, her head turned away from him and covered with that shoulder length brown hair that he could have sworn he had seen somewhere before. His eye's traveled down the curve of her back, completely bare save for the sheet that had now pooled at the base of her spine, leaving her skin exposed and glistening under the faded light of the full moon. The fire had all but died now and he found himself leaning over, trying in vein to get a better look as she breathed softly, her back rising and falling with the effort as her chest was pushed into the mattress. One leg was bent and stuck out, her ankle hooked around the edge of the sheet as if she was relishing in the cool wind of the Egyptian night._

 _His gaze danced up and down her body, drinking in her curves as his heated stare once again landed on the back of her head._

 _Who are you?-He thought, reaching out with one hand and dragging a finger down her shoulder blade tentatively. He pulled back when she shifted suddenly, releasing a sigh before turning her head to the other side and nestling down to sleep again._

 _He stopped his ministrations and stared, disbelief splashed across his face as he blinked over and over again to try and change what on earth he was seeing, but the vision wasn't shifting and he was stuck with the sight of one of his closest friends currently naked and sleeping beside him._

 _"No, no, this cant be right..." He shook his head, a nervous laugh escaping his lips as he rubbed his eyes, convincing himself it was just a dream._

 _He was broken from his fumbling by the sheets moving again and he turned back to her only to see his thoughts confirmed as a pair of bright, blue eyes stared back up at him innocently, reflecting the bright light of the moon as she smiled coyly up at him and leant up onto her elbows._

 _"Are you all right, love?" She whispered, reaching out with a hand to grip his._

 _He gasped, shock stretching his handsome features as he stared at her. This cant be right!_

 _"A-Anzu?!"_

With a yelp Yami tumbled backwards, landing painfully on his back as he stared up at the ceiling of his cabin in one of Kaiba's private jets. A female flight attendant appeared over him, a concerned frown marring her pretty features as she watched him carefully. He suddenly realised that he was currently mid-flight somewhere over the ocean and on his way back from New York. He groaned, closing his eyes as it dawned on him that he had also probably been sleep walking his way around the plane.

Unfortunately, being a Pharaoh in the twenty-first century didn't save you from embarrassment.

"Are you all right, Sir?" The woman asked, holding a hand out to help him up.

He merely nodded, rising gently and accepting her helping hand as he stood up, glancing around at the familiar insides of the first class cabin he was currently residing in. He noted that Kaiba was no where to be seen, _thank Ra_ , and that it was just him and the flight attendant next to him who was now flapping around as she tidied up knocked over glasses and magazines that he had managed to scatter all over the floor in his sleep inhibited wanderings.

"Gomen," He started, moving to sit in the large chair that also served as his bed, a sudden tiredness swooping over him again, "I didn't mean to make a mess."

She smiled through painted red lips at him, "It's nothing to worry about, Sir. Although, I must ask, are you ok? You were sleep walking you know." She frowned.

"Ah, yes," He started, racking his brain for an excuse, "A side effect of stress unfortunately. It's quite common, apparently."

"Oh?" Her eyebrows raised in shock as she continued to clean around him. "Well, if you need anything to help you sleep better, then I can fetch you something from the medicine cabinet?" She gestured to the cabin behind her.

He shook his head, "No thank you that wont be necessary. Although some water would be nice?"

She nodded, beaming as she seemed eager to help and he felt that if he gave her something to do it would somehow fulfil her good deed list for the day. He sighed, settling back into his seat as he rested his head back and shut his eye's, running over and over again the image of Anzu sprawled out in his bed beside him. He had no idea why he had pictured her there, or for what reason Ra had included her in his most recent flashback, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it and Isis would be his first port of call once he was back on solid ground.

"Are you _done_ with your zombie impression?"

Yami groaned as Kaiba's sarcastic twang echoed around the insides of his head. He blinked an eye open in an effort to see him and watched as the tall male settled into a seat opposite him. He raised a slender eyebrow.

"Well?-"

"Yes, Yes!" Yami sighed, sitting forwards and accepting the glass of water from the flight attendant with a murmured _'thank you'._

"Good, now we can get down to business."

Yami sighed again, rubbing his temples gingerly,"I've already _told you_ Kaiba, I am _not_ investing any money into the cooperation-"

"I didn't mean that, fool." Kaiba chided, crossing his long legs in an effort to get comfortable. "I meant in regard to your most recent trip to New York." He smiled, one that Yami had seen all too often and made him shift to avoid making eye contact.

"Whats it to you?" He asked, glancing out of the plane window at the flashing lights of the wing.

"I want to know what your dealings were with the head of The New York Ballet."

"That's private," Yami snapped, "and you owed me a favour, with no questions asked." He pointed a finger at him.

"That man has honourable intentions but in all the wrong places," Kaiba started, "whatever you offered him in return for Anzu had better not be anything worth loosing."

Yami frowned, "What do you mean? How did you know it was about Anzu?"

"Well, unless you were there to organise classes for _yourself,_ I doubt it was about anyone else." He snorted.

"Kaiba," Yami warned, his voice lowering an octave.

"I've dealt with this man before. His investments have never been seen through. Sure, he knows how to run a business, but he doesn't know how to work the open market. He's a flake. Consider this a warning." Kaiba finished, standing to take his leave.

"I'll keep that In mind." Yami deadpanned, his thoughts now wandering back to his meeting with the head of the ballet, a frown marring his handsome features.

"Oh and by the way?" Kaiba called over his shoulder, " _Dreaming_ about Anzu doesn't make it _real!"_

He deftly dodged the plush pillow that was thrown at his face.

xox

Anzu hummed, deep in thought as she held the small black jewellery box in her hands, the soft velvet coating tickling the pads of her fingers gently. She stared at it, knowing that inside was one of her most precious possessions and yet she hadn't worn it in weeks. She sighed, moving to set it aside on her night stand as she shifted under her covers, before thinking better of it and pulling it back down and into her lap again.

 _Should she speak to him?_

Now that he was back and on solid ground in Domino City she felt like she was loosing all of her confidence in sucking up her pride and just bloody _apologising_ to the poor man. But since her conversation with Isis she was finding it more and more difficult to control her emotions; she was all over the place like an open book. She's been known to wear her heart on her sleeve and therefore get hurt in turn but this was on a whole different level. The confusion that racked her mind was so overwhelming and now that she was on house arrest again she had all the time in the world to _think_ about it.

And that was dangerous enough in itself.

With an angry scoff she flipped open the box, staring down at the silver cartouche that sat so proudly on its little black cushion. The Egyptian hieroglyphics that spelled out Yami's real name, Atem, shone up at her beneath the light of her beside lamp as if mocking the sheer fact that she highly doubted she had anything to do with Yami's reign as Pharaoh at all. She picked it up gently in her hand and ran her thumb across its surface, smudging the shine out of it so she could see it's details better. She remembered so clearly the day that he had given it back to her. He was about to leave for the afterlife, about to walk away from them for good. But after he had decided to stay and she had thrown her arms around him and sobbed in relief, he had gently held her and pressed the cartouche into the palm of her hand, smiling down at her warmly as she blushed under his intense gaze.

 _"It's yours now, Anzu. Keep it safe."_

She still thought about that moment to this day because she could have sworn that if the ruins hadn't started collapsing around them he would have swooped down and kissed her senseless.

But that was besides the point.

She lifted the necklace and unclasped it, leaning around to the back of her neck where she clicked it shut and let it rest atop her chest. A sudden tiredness made her blink sleepily and she frowned as she glanced at her clock and noted the time was only midday. She only had enough time to frown in confusion before she fell back onto her pillows and the world went black.

 _Heat._

 _Intense heat._

 _But it was not coming from the early morning sun whose rays were beating through the silk curtains in an effort to bathe everything in light. Nor was it coming from the burning embers in the fire pit to the left, small puffs of smoke erupting as the ash shifted under the small breeze that was circling the room._

 _It took Anzu a few tired blinks and long, drawn out moments to realise that she was having another flashback._

 _Except this time, it was morning._

 _And she was not alone._

 _The heat was coming from the body pressed up against her back. A pair of strong arms had encircled her waist as large, calloused hands explored the curves of her naked form. Embarrassment flushed through her as his lips danced over the skin of her shoulder blade, before pressing his face into the crook of her neck and inhaling her scent. He breathed deeply as if enjoying the moment and Anzu could have sworn she felt him smiling against her skin. He embraced her, pulling her flush back against him so that her chest was exposed and she gasped in shock as she reached for the sheets to cover herself, only for him to grab her hand quickly and pull it back too, lacing his fingers with hers as they lay together._

 _"Good morning, love."_

 _She instantly recognised the gruff tone of his voice and she suddenly realised that this was the man with the red eyes that she had been seeing and dancing for, but had never actually gotten a closer look at. She felt goosebumps rise across her skin as an image of Yami splashed across her vision as he kissed her neck, lingering sensually over her pulse and bit down lightly with his teeth causing a rush of pleasure to pool deep within her stomach. She wriggled in response, trying to turn around so that she could finally see who she had been sharing these flashbacks with, only to have him flip her onto her back as he leant down and pressed his lips flush against hers._

 _She blinked in shock, arching up against him as her body went rigid._

 _She tried to focus her eyes but his close proximity was making it difficult for her to see anything and he was doing something wonderful with his mouth that made her eyes shut involuntarily as she started to kiss him back. He was like wine and she was getting drunk off his passion as he pressed his body against hers, his hands gripping hers tightly as he pushed them up and over her head and into the pillow beneath them, lacing their fingers together and locking them in place. his hips grinding into hers and-_

 _By Ra, this was amazing._

 _All embarrassment at being completely naked beneath this man seemed to dissolve into nothing as familiar shapes started to fill her darkened vision. She watched him with hazy eyes as he moved from her mouth and back down to her neck, his kisses leaving a hot trail down the length of her skin. There were golden bangs hanging in front of his face, tickling her exposed chest and she frowned as her blurry vision started to clear and she was blessed with the sight of a spiky silhouette crowning his head. She gripped his face in her hands as her eyes widened in shock and with one final blink she felt her mouth open in barely contained horror._

 _Yami stared back up at her, his bright crimson eyes frowning in concern._

 _"Anzu? Whats the matter?"_

Anzu screamed in shock as her eyes shot open and she gripped the banister to her right to stop herself from tumbling down the stairs of her flat. She stumbled back and into the wall of her bedroom, sliding down it as she breathed heavily, her heart pounding out of her chest. She ran a shaking hand over her forehead and wiped away the sweat now dripping down the back of her neck. She glanced back at her bed and saw the mess she had made, groaning as she realised that she had probably been sleep walking. Her wrist throbbed painfully and she winced as she lifted it gingerly and held it close to her chest, staring at the now daunting staircase ahead of her that would have almost definitely ended up with another trip to the hospital with more broken bones.

A panic suddenly rose in her throat at the thought and she jumped up and stumbled her way back into her bedroom, dodging the scattered contents that littered her floor clumsily and grabbed the phone of her bedside table. She dialled the familiar number into her phone and waited impatiently as it rang.

"Hello? Isis? _I need your help!"_

xox

R+R!


	5. Chapter 5: Realisation

I kind of wrote this chapter with the idea to write about Anzu in a positive light. I see so much 'Anzu-bashing' as people like to call it, and it really bothers me because first of all everything that people say about her personality is incredibly black and white, when in actual fact they've completely miss-read the authors intention for her as a character and therefore rendered her completely useless throughout the anime/manga.

Second of all, people seem to have such high opinions about fictional characters. I enjoy creative writing and so choose to write using characters that I have known and grown up with as I'm not quite in a place yet where I can write with my own characters, but I don't hold a strong opinion as to who they are and how they act because they simply don't exist in the first place. The whole point of fiction is to get lost in that world and enjoy it, not ridicule it and tear it apart until you've broken it's very foundations and caused a rippling after effect that destroys the characters being for the foreseeable future; _It's not fair on the author._

Ok, rant over! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much for the kind reviews recently, your support is much appreciated :)

I think there will be one more chapter after this which is the conclusion and then onto the next story!

xox

Anzu Mazaki had never been one to panic.

When her and the gang were on the brink of being lost in a virtual world, she was the one who reminded them that there was always a way out of everything. When they were targeted and close to death, she remained strong in the face of her enemies to keep the group together. When they were standing watching Yami and Yugi battle, she was the one who held their hands and cheered them _both_ on.

Yes, Anzu was proud to be the strong one, the heart of their group.

Yet, she seemed to of forgotten all of that as she paced around the living space of her apartment, her hands wrung together nervously as she babbled to the older woman who was sat across from her on the plush sofa, analysing her every darting move and gazing concerned at the dark circles that ringed her eyes. Anzu Mazaki was a bridge over troubled water that held the dynamic of their group together when it mattered the most.

But now, she had cracked.

 _And it was all starting to pour out._

"-and then I stumbled and thats when I woke up!" She was flushed red from her rushed explanation and the embarrassment of having to share a rather personal memory. "What do you think it means? I don't understand this at all, Isis!"

The older woman held her blue gaze, watching intently as the woman continued to shift and fidget, seemingly unable to keep herself still.

"Come sit here, Anzu." Isis patted the space next to her, moving the folders she had brought to the coffee table ahead of her.

Anzu perched on the edge of the sofa, her hands clasped tightly together as she watched the older woman. "What is it?"

Isis reached out and held out her hands, clasping Anzu's ones gently. " Anzu. I have watched you take on the likes of Seto Kaiba, I have watched you stand up to my brothers evil half and I have watched you stare death straight in the face more times than _anyone_ should have to. Why is this _scaring_ you so much?"

Anzu let her lips part slightly as she went to defend herself, yet nothing came to mind and she merely exhaled instead, stumped for words.

"I have a theory. I think its because this is not something you can control and that bothers you," Isis gave her a knowing look, " but I also think its because being with Yami is something that you have wanted for a long time now and the fact that it may actually be happening has set you off kilter. It scares you, doesn't it?"

Anzu dipped her head forwards as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Isis was right; of course Isis was right. Her bangs shadowed her face as she felt her emotions rise and she swallowed again as she tried to blink the tears away.

"Yami was a Pharaoh," she started, turning her head so Isis couldn't see her, "He was in a position of power and he deserves to be with someone that can match that." She stood, releasing her hands from Isis's grip, "And that person is not me. I'm not worthy to stand next to someone like him. Thats why this bothers me so much. Ra has got the _wrong_ girl." She turned to face Isis as she said the last few words, her heart lurching. _"This shouldn't be happening to me."_

Isis reached forwards and took hold of the first folder sat on the coffee table. "I brought the rest of the information I have come across to show you. Trust me, Anzu, when I say that Ra makes no mistakes." She handed the young woman the folder, a small smile gracing her lips as she watched the brunette take her seat next to her again and open the first page to start reading.

"It seem's," Isis started, pointing to a plastic sleeve that held an extremely old parchment. "That Yami wrote more about this dancer than I had initially thought."

Anzu frowned, staring up at Isis as she shook her head, "But this cant be right, I can understand what this says. Didn't he write in Hieroglyphics?"

"Look again, Anzu." Isis smiled, "Ra has gifted you with your first language."

Anzu turned her head back to the parchment with a confused frown before her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open at the sight of the symbols that were scribbled across the page; despite her eyes seeing nothing but shapes, her mind had started to already decipher what it said.

"This cant be right." She gasped, gripping the folder with white knuckles.

Isis nodded, "You cannot deny your lineage any longer, Anzu. Your past life wants to be heard and it is a lot easier to let it play out then try and fight it. Fighting it will lead you into situations like the one you found yourself in earlier. You will end up hurt again trying to push it away."

"I can read this!" Anzu felt a laugh escape her throat as she stared in shock at the paper. Despite herself, she smiled; she was one step closer to understanding Yami and that was satisfying enough in itself.

She skimmed the parchment greedily, her mind taking in the information like a sponge in water, desperately trying to understand the man she loved so much. A lot of the information was sparse, but it was most definitely written about her past self; he talked of a young woman who danced for him at the palace, with short brunette hair and dazzling blue eyes. She turned the pages quickly, her eyes scanning the parchments with gusto as she found herself suddenly immersed in his world.

A world that she had so _obviously_ been a part of.

"Are these diary entries?" Anzu asked, turning to Isis with another frown. "I cant understand why else he would write all this..."

"Its possible," Isis shrugged, "most royals kept journals of their times as Pharaohs and Queens but it seems that Yami decided to write about other ventures." She smiled, "Turn the page. The next script is something you may find of interest."

Anzu quickly flicked the sleeve, her eyes gazing down at the lengthy paragraph that stared up at her and for a split second, she felt intimidated. She felt like she was teetering on the edge of something that she had lusted after for so long and yet, that fear that had caused her to push Yami away and keep him and arms length was currently knocking on her conscious's door and telling her to shut the folder and walk away. She blinked, furrowing her brow as she felt her determination finally kick in and she looked back down at the script.

"It says, _I invited her to my rooms. I had no clue she would actually agree, but then again, when summoned by the Pharaoh most do oblige. She looked beautiful. A stunning vision dressed all in white. She was nervous, I could tell, but she danced anyway. Perhaps she felt bad for-_ " Anzu stopped, a gasp escaping her lips as she skimmed the next sentence, "-for talking back at me..."

Isis smiled, "Sound familiar?"

"I dreamt about this..." Anzu whispered, her voice distant as she stared at nothing on the floor, her heart leaping and her mind spinning in a disillusioned mess. She smiled to herself, remembering the vision like it was yesterday, "He told me not to be scared and I told him I wasn't."

Isis chuckled, "It was frowned upon to talk back to the Pharaoh. You must have caught his attention."

Anzu sighed, falling back against the sofa heavily as she let the information absorb. "So it's true then. We were together."

Isis nodded, "I know that you're hurting, Anzu," She started, "but he cares for you more then you will ever know and more than he lets on."

Anzu smiled sadly, "I don't know..."

Isis sighed, "Oh my dear, don't you see? You are _meant_ to be together!"

Anzu was about to respond when they were interrupted by an envelope dropping through Anzu's letter box. She frowned and turned to the clock on the wall as she rose from her seat and padded her way over to the door.

"Thats strange, It's early afternoon."

She bent down and scooped up the letter, turning back to the sofa with a sigh and staring down at the front of the envelope. Her name and address had been written in elegant script across the front and a first class forwarding stamp from New York was haphazardly marked across the top corner, along with the stamp of the New York City Ballet.

She froze.

"Anzu? What is it?" Isis moved to stand, coming to glance over the younger woman's shoulder.

Her hands shook as she gripped the paper, "It's from New York. It's from the Ballet!" She gasped, her breath leaving her quickly as she frantically turned the envelope around and ripped it open, pulling the letter out and tossing the envelope aside. Rain started to pelt against the window frame as the weather darkened and clouds gathered over head.

 _Dear Miss Mazaki,_

 _Thank you so much for your recent interest in the New York City Ballet. I have received a recent visit from a friend of yours who explained your unfortunate circumstances surrounding your audition, for which I sincerely apologise for and hope that you are on the mend. My sympathies go out to you._

 _Your friend offered me some footage of your recent dance recitals and I must say, you are a beautiful dancer and I would very much like to meet in person and offer you a re-audition for the chance to join our school next fall._

 _Please contact my PA, whose details I will outline below, to arrange a suitable time for you._

 _Thank you and I look forward to meeting you._

 _Kind Regards,_

 _CEO of the New York City Ballet._

Tears pricked the corner of Anzu's eyes as she brought a hand to cup around her gaping mouth. _"Oh my god!"_ She gasped, jumping up and down as she waved the letter at Isis, "I got a re-audition!"

"Oh, Anzu congratulations!" Isis caught her for a hug,"Well deserved, I must say!"

"But I don't understand," Anzu laughed, "it says a friend of mine went to see them? Who on earth..." She stopped, catching herself as the realisation of what was happening suddenly caught up to her. "Isis?" she started gingerly, "Where has Yami been the past few days?"

Isis coughed lightly, turning her head away as she rubbed a hand across her arm, "You know, I'm not sure..."

"Isis."

The older woman turned her gaze to catch Anzu's and the hope that she saw shining beneath that deep pool of blue made her chest ache and so with a heavy sigh, she relented and gave the young woman the information she so desperately wanted.

"New York."

Before Isis even had a chance to speak again, Anzu had thrown the letter aside and was out the door, sprinting down the high-street. She exhaled heavily, falling back on the sofa and leaning her head back onto its rest. Closing her eyes, she smiled lightly.

"Ra, my work here is done."

xox

Yami kicked a puddle irritably as he stomped back through Domino City. The streets had emptied once the weather turned and he was only passed by a few hurrying people with umbrellas as he slowly made his way through the city centre and turned off down a wide set street to make his way back to the suburbs; he was looking after the game shop for Grandpa whilst he was away on business.

Yami sighed heavily, running a hand over his eyes as rain dripped from his now heavy hair and onto the skin of is face. He had wanted to deliver the letter personally, but before he had a chance to intervene in New York, it was apparently already on its way to Japan and the best he could do was watch from a distance as the postman delivered it safely through Anzu's letterbox. Satisfied with his work, he turned and started to trudge home, which is where he found himself now as he walked the long empty pavement towards the game shop. The familiar green front came into view and he felt his bad mood dissipate somewhat at the sight of home.

He stopped, frowning as his ears pricked and he turned to stare down the empty street he had just walked from, his brow furrowing as he heard a shout yet again. The voice sounded familiar and so he stopped walking altogether and waited, his nerves on a knife edge as he slipped his hands out of his pockets and braced himself to start running.

The voice came again.

 _"Yami!"_

He raised from his crouch quickly as he instantly recognised the voice of the young woman and watched with wide hopeful eyes as a figure danced into view and Anzu came sprinting down the high-street.

"Yami! _Wait!"_ She shouted at the top of her lungs, the rain dampening her voice somewhat so Yami had to squint to listen.

He was just about to reprimand her for being out in the rain without a coat or umbrella as she neared him but immediately stopped when she didn't slow down and he only had just enough time to open his arms before she launched herself at him full force. He caught her with ease, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist as he stumbled back slightly, fighting to keep his balance. She was pressed flush against him, stood on her tip toes so that her head could press into the nape of his neck and her arms could wrap tightly around his shoulders. Yami didn't complain as he held her, briefly letting his eyes shut as he allowed himself a moment of peace to enjoy her close proximity and relish in the comfort of her body pressed against his. She was shaking violently from the cold and her chest was heaving form the sudden exertion of exercise, but what concerned Yami the most were the wracking sobs that made her shoulders jump and her voice hiccup.

He pulled back gently and moved his hands to her waist so that he could push her back as well.

"Anzu?" He asked tentatively, his voice almost a whisper over the now pouring rain, "Whats the matter?"

She was gazing up at him. Her eyes were wide with fear, the blue dotted with shards of light as they reflected the rain that danced off the surrounding buildings. Her hair was soaked and stuck to the sides of her face, a few strands running defiantly down the middle of her forehead and stuck to the side of her nose. She was panting heavily, her lungs seemingly burning from her all out sprint through Domino. Her clothes were soaking wet as well, now clinging to her like a second skin as she let emotion pour out through every fibre of her being; Yami could practically _feel_ the tension in the air between them.

"You did that for _me?"_ She asked, fresh tears starting to fall and she angrily wiped them away, "After everything I've done, you still did that for me?"

Yami suddenly felt embarrassed, averting his gaze as he rubbed the back of his neck gingerly, "If you're referring to New York, than I was just away on business-"

"Yami," Anzu interrupted, her voice like iron, "Don't lie to me."

He sighed, dropping his gaze again so that he could watch her, "Yes, it was me." He murmured.

He watched as Anzu gasped, confirming her own suspicions as she turned away from him and placed her hands on her hips. He thought she was going to walk away from him and the thought of having to go through that again made is heart lurch. He reached out to stop her only to pull back quickly when she whirled around to face him again.

"I've stared death in the face on more than one occasion. I've watched my friends and the people I care about get hurt and I've been hurt myself too. But what I'm about to do is the hardest, most scariest thing I've probably ever done..."

Yami frowned, his face faltering as he opened and close his mouth to speak but no words came out. Confusion racked his brain and he waited on tender hooks, his heart racing whilst all manner of things ran through his head.

"I love you, Yami."

The world stopped.

Her words had been choked and broken, sobs interrupting her declaration of love but Yami ignored all of that as he stared at her, stared at the woman who had stood by him through everything he had had to endure in this life, the woman who had fought for him against all manner of evil and who he had hurt so badly and thought he had lost all together. He felt like he had dreamed of this moment since Yugi had first built the puzzle. He felt whole again, he felt _human._

"Yami? Are you-"

His hands found her shoulders as he pulled her forwards and crashed his lips against hers.

Arms wound around his neck and his found her waist as he pulled her tightly against him, the warmth of her mouth a light in the darkness he relentlessly lived in. He relished in her touch, the way her hair tickled his cheeks, the way her lips softly echoed every dance of his own and how despite the freezing cold he felt hot through to this core as her hands gripped the back of his head and she pulled him closer.

He felt on top of the world, his mind sang with happiness as he gripped her tightly, removing one hand so that he could cup the back of her head and tilt it to the side slightly as his mouth worked wonders upon hers. A moan rippled from her throat at the new angle and he felt his chest lurch at the noise, a pool of pleasure beginning to grow in the pit of his stomach. His hand that was currently latched around her waist lifted slightly but before he had a chance to go any further he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

She was breathing heavily, rain dripping down her face and falling off the end of her nose and across his cheeks. A grin stretched her lips as she giggled, her breath fogging the air between them as an embarrassed blush flushed her cheeks. She let her hands fall to his waist as she hugged him, letting her head fall to land on his shoulder as he held her closer.

"Does that answer you?" He whispered, shutting his eyes as he rested his cheek against the top side of her head.

Her reply was muffled into his coat, "It would be nice to hear the words."

He could hear the smile beneath her answer and so he removed his head, tilted her chin up with two fingers so that she looked straight into his bright crimson orbs and muttered the words she had longed to hear for most her adult life.

"I love you too, Anzu."

xox

R+R!


	6. Chapter 6: Epilogue

Guys, I am SO SORRY for the late update! I have no excuses, but here is the final chapter/epilogue for you. Thank you for the reviews and for the support with this story, it was a tricky one to get right and get the characters right, but I'm glad its done now.

I hope you enjoy!

xox

Life, is a struggle.

It's a combination of trying to not loose your mind every day over matters that actually in the grand scheme of things are not very important. We are all just children trapped in adult bodies and trying to make a nine to five living so that we can have a normal and relatively easy life. But the pressures of actually being an adult and being independent are different to everything that we thought it would be growing up. It's incredibly stressful and challenging at times, especially through the early years, when you are still finding yourself as a person and theres no one to tell you right from wrong so you just end up making _mistake_ after _mistake_ until eventually you learn and then all you want to do is crawl back into the foetus position and be a child again.

The innocence of children is our truest nature.

Anzu pondered this as she gazed out of the large windows lining the adjacent wall, the early morning sun dancing across the beige carpet that lined the room. She felt her tired blue orbs follow a ray of sun, dust mites dancing in and out of its yellow hue, leading her gaze down further until they disappeared behind the end of the bed, her vision re-focusing on the messed sheets and tanned arm that was clutched tightly around her waist.

She glanced back over her shoulder, grinning at the sleeping Motou boy next to her. His face was relaxed and content, his lips open slightly as he snored softly, his large crimson orbs shut tight against the world as he continued to doze. She turned her head back to the window, letting him snooze a little longer before dragging him out of bed. She was a morning person and always had been, much to Yami's annoyance. Over the months that they had now spent together, his sleeping patterns had improved and his insomnia and near been cured apart from the occasional night. Isis had said that his body and soul was still tightly tied to his days as Pharaoh and so if anything was out of place in his life now in the twenty-first century, it would send his body off kilter. Now he had Anzu, his soul was settling down and allowing him to sleep peacefully.

It made sense she supposed.

Anzu's visions had also stopped, fizzling down to mere distant gazes into the past as she awoke from deep sleep in the arms of her Pharaoh. However, Isis had also mentioned that they had each found their soul mates. The word _mate_ had sounded so animalistic and raw in her head and she had resented it at first, but it felt like the only way how to describe what they had found each other. She smiled at the thought, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she slipped down into the covers and turned to him, tucking her head underneath his chin as she shifted further into his warmth, the cosy silence of the Sunday morning relaxing her senses and muscles until she too drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

xox

"I am _not_ wearing that."

Yami glared at the outfit on the hanger currently strung up over the wardrobe door. He glanced at the feminine giggle that echoed from through the open bathroom door, throwing his bag onto the bed as she made his way over and hovered in the doorway, leaning against it with his arms crossed as he grinned at the sight. Anzu sat in the bath, bubbles surrounding her as she stopped what she was doing to glance over at him, her arms up and in her hair as she tied it back against the hot water, a few strands falling loose down her neck and sticking to her skin. She grinned back at him, her eyes sparkling mischievously as she watched his crimson orbs slips down from her face to her exposed chest. His pupils dilated slightly as his smile grew, but she teased him cruelly by dipping further into the tub, resting her head against the lip of it as she gazed at him from beneath hooded lids.

"How was work?"

He shrugged, moving further into the room as he swiftly sat down on the side of the tub, his hand rubbing through her hair gently, "Busy, but good. We are making good progress."

He was referring to him and Isis searching for the millennium puzzle and matching items, "Do you think your close?" She asked, grabbing her razor off the side of the bath and stretching a long leg out of the water to shave.

"Possibly. We have a lead in the middle east."

She stopped, surprised blue orbs moving to meet his gaze quickly, "You're leaving?!"

Whenever they had a lead on anything, it always meant that he was gone for weeks on end to investigate with Isis, and even though she understood that it was his job, she hated the strain it put on their relationship.

He chuckled, "No, It's nothing solid and Isis understands that I have a life outside of the office," He smiled at the appreciative look on her softened features, "we're sending Otis instead."

"So, you're still coming today?" She grinned.

"Yes, but there is no way you're getting me in that costume..." He deadpanned.

She laughed, "Its halloween, Yami, its popular culture to dress up!"

"I know the culture, but why embarrass yourself for the entertainment of others?" He grimaced.

"Everyone does it, it's not to embarrass anyone its just to have fun. And besides, no one important knows about your past so it's not like the costume _means_ anything."

An image of the Pharaoh costume slung over the wardrobe door flashed before his eyes and he growled softly, "The things you make me do..." He sighed.

"You'll thank me for it later with the things I'll do to you then," She flashed him a sly grin, her gaze heated as her eyes flickered to the black t-shirt hugging his abdomen.

He swiftly stood, removing his top in one go as he leant over the bath, pushing himself forwards until their lips were barely touching, "Why not right now?"

xox

Yami growled in annoyance as he watched Joey laugh, tripping over his own costume as he stumbled around holding his stomach, tears almost streaming from his eyes as he leaned on Tristan's shoulder for support, who was also, much to Yami's chagrin, laughing at him. He turned to the woman stood next to him, her blue orbs turning to gaze up at him.

"I told you this was a bad idea."

She chuckled, "They are your best friends they are entitled to laugh at you."

He was dressed head to toe in the westerns version of a Pharaoh, complete with gold jewellery and thick black liner courtesy of the woman at his side. He glanced over at her.

She on the other hand was a _vision_ in white.

She had a silk dress on, the white fabric curving around the length of her neck and down towards both breasts, leaving her back bare as it tucked it into a gold belt around her waist, before flowing down to her ankles where a pair of gold sandals were strapped to her feet. She noted his stare on her, turning to face him as she smiled sweetly, her hair was straight, falling slightly past her shoulders and tickling her tanned skin, gold earrings peeking out from the brown strands as thick liner rimmed and flicked out the sides of those large blue orbs gazing back at him.

His heart tugged, "You on the other hand, look amazing..."

She scoffed, slapping him on the shoulder as she went to move over to where Mai and Serenity were standing. He sighed watching her go only to turn and look down at the person who appeared at his side.

Yugi smiled up at him from beneath his Dark Magician hat, readjusting it slightly so he could see his brother better, "Don't worry, tonight will go quickly and then we can rip these costumes off."

Yami raised a brow, "You don't like it either?"

Yugi laughed, "You think I picked this outfit out?!"

Yami chuckled, "Fair play." His gaze wandered to where Rebecca was stood with the girls, dressed in a matching Dark Magician Girl outfit.

"Did you ever see us here?"

"What do you mean?"

"A year ago I didn't think you are her were ever going to speak again." He gestured to Anzu.

He sighed, "Things have a way of working themselves out, Yugi."

Yugi nodded, "Have you had anymore leads at work?"

Yami nodded, accepting a drink off of Joey as it was thrust into his hands, "Otis is on it."

"So you don' hav' to leave us again then?" The blonde grinned, taking a large gulp of his beer.

"Sorry to disappoint."

"It's alrigh' I'll spoon ya later, _Pharaoh!"_

Tristan spat his drink as he laughed, punching Joey on the arm.

"Is Kaiba coming?" Yugi asked no one in particular.

Joey scoffed, "Yea, righ', like he'd join us"

"We did invite him," Tristan added, "but he's probably found some new software to play with."

"Boys, come on, we're leaving!" Mai called over her shoulder, before slinging an arm through Anzu's and leading the group away.

Yami trailed after them all, watching as they talked and laughed, dressed in the most ridiculous outfits with drinks in hand, and even though he hated this holiday and this time of year, he couldn't imagine his life anywhere else and his mind finally settled with the idea that he had most definitely made the right decision to stay this side of the twenty-first century.

He had friends.

He had family.

He was home.

xox


End file.
